The Growing Up Of Tigerstar
by LenzieKat
Summary: Everyone knows Tigerstar is evil. Ever wondered why? A cruel father...a murdered love...Rated T for some content. Kit abuse...blood...death...
1. A Shady Death

**This fic will explain how Tigerstar became so 'evil', because there's a reason for everything.**

**Chapter 1**

ThunderClan (all the cats that I know of, anyway)

Leader---**Sunstar—a ginger tom with yellow stripes and green eyes**

Deputy---**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom**

Medicine Cat---**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors---

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with four darker gray legs**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail (apprentice, Redpaw)**

**Moonflower—a long-haired white she-cat with amber eyes**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat**

Queens---

**Shadestorm—a dark tabby she-cat with amber eyes**

**Snowfur—a white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Whitekit)**

Apprentices---

**Redpaw—tortoiseshell tom with a ginger tail**

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

Elders---

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Smallear—a gray tom with very small ears**

**Thistleclaw's POV**

*****

Thistleclaw twined tails with his mate, Shadestorm, looking at her swollen belly. His pelt pricked with pride at the thought that he would soon be a father.

"Come on, let's go get some fresh-kill," he meowed to the dark tabby she-cat.

Shadestorm turned her green eyes to Thistleclaw's amber ones. "I have to stay in the nursery, remember? The kits are due any day now." She purred as she gave him a loving nudge with her muzzle. Thistleclaw felt like his heart would soon explode from all the love he felt for the wonderful cat in front of him.

Shadestorm suddenly gasped, and Thistleclaw felt a surge of alarm. "Are you okay?"

"No—I'm fine," Shadestorm rasped. "One of the kits just being playful, that's all."

"Did it hurt you?" Thistleclaw asked concernedly.

Shadestorm forced a smile. "No, no, he's just big for his age. I bet he gets it from his father." She caressed her belly with her tail, happily thinking of the beautiful, strong kits she would soon be having, and the happy family she would have.

Thistleclaw still couldn't suppress the ripple of anxiety that flowed through his body. Much as he loved his unborn kits, he didn't want them hurting his beloved mate. "Okay, then. I'll get you a mouse and we'll eat it just outside the nursery."

As Shadestorm nodded agreement, Thistleclaw hurried over to the fresh-kill pile and searched for the freshest, juiciest piece of prey he could find. As he selected a fat thrush, he looked up and saw Tawnyspots, the deputy, beckoning to him. Thistleclaw glanced back at Shadestorm and when she showed no aversion, he padded over to Tawnyspots. "Yes?"

The brown tabby tom sighed. "I need you to lead a patrol along the ShadowClan border with Patchpelt, Bluefur, and Runningpaw. And then," a glimmer of amusement appeared in his eyes, "You can have time off from warrior duties because I know Shadestorm's kits are due any day now."

Thistleclaw dipped his head in respect and thanks. "I will." He ran over to the warriors' den, where Patchpelt was sharing tongues with Dappletail. "Patchpelt, Tawnyspots wants us to patrol the ShadowClan border with Bluefur and Runningpaw."

Patchpelt gave Dappletail a flick on the shoulder and followed Thistleclaw over to the training hollow, where Bluefur was training with her apprentice.

"Run at me," Bluefur instructed. "But don't aim where I am now, aim for where you _think_ I'm going to be."

Runningpaw squinted and cocked his head to one side, as if trying to figure out where Bluefur would be. Suddenly, he leaped at his mentor and bowled her over, faster than Thistleclaw had ever seen a cat leap.

Bluefur lay panting in the dust. Runningpaw nervously padded over to her. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked.

Bluefur's eyes opened, and she heaved herself to her paws. "That was excellent," she praised. "What you lack in size and strength, you make up for in speed and intelligence. I'll ask Sunstar if you can come to the Gathering that's coming up soon."

Runningpaw's eyes shone. "Really?"

"Really. If you keep this up, you'll be a warrior soon."

Thistleclaw cleared his throat. "Um, Bluefur, you and Runningpaw need to come with me on patrol."

Bluefur beckoned the tabby apprentice forward, and the four cats disappeared through the gorse tunnel.

*

Thistleclaw raced into the camp and into the nursery. He was relieved when he saw Shadestorm sharing tongues with Snowfur, Bluefur's sister. Her kit, Whitekit, was sleeping at her paws. When he approached them, Shadestorm looked up and a smile spread over her face. "Featherwhisker just visited me," she mewed, "and he told me the kits will be here in the next few sunrises."

Thistleclaw purred and licked Shadestorm on the ear. She sighed. "I can't wait. I was thinking that maybe if we get a gray kit that looks like you, I'd like to name him Tigerkit."

"Him?" Thistleclaw questioned.

The dark tabby she-cat scuffled her paws on the ground. "I don't know—whenever I think of my kits, I think of a strong tom that looks exactly like you."

Thistleclaw felt a burst of happiness inside him. "And why Tigerkit?"

Shadestorm seemed acutely embarrassed. "Whenever I think of strength, I remember TigerClan."

Thistleclaw nuzzled her ear. "And what of the other kits?"

"I like the names Shinekit and Bramblekit."

"Whatever you name them, they'll be perfect, and we'll be a great happy family." Thistleclaw imagined three kits tumbling and play-fighting with him, and he felt ready to burst with pride. Then the pride turned into fear as Shadestorm's body was overcome with spasms for a minute. "Shadestorm!"

Shadestorm wailed and collapsed on the ground. "Thistleclaw—kits—_coming_!" Snowfur rushed over to the trembling queen and placed a paw on her belly, her eyes growing wide. "Get Featherwhisker," she meowed. "_Now_!"

Shaking with fear, Thistleclaw raced to the medicine cat's den with the speed of StarClan. He burst through the ferns and crashed into the silvery gray tom.

Featherwhisker dropped the bundle of herbs he was carrying. "What?"

"Shadepelt—kits coming—"

Without a word, Featherwhisker hurried to the back of the den and reappeared with a plant that had star shaped flowers, and other herbs Thistleclaw didn't recognize. "Borage," Featherwhisker explained, "and juniper berries and cobwebs." He and Thistleclaw sprinted to the nursery, where Snowfur was soothing the trembling Shadestorm. Snowfur looked up as they came in. "Featherwhisker," she meowed, "I think something's wrong. Look, her breathing keeps stopping and there's blood over her lower body."

An icy wind seemed to chill Thistleclaw's heart. "Hold on, Shadestorm. Featherwhisker's helping you, and now we'll all be one happy family. Remember, just like we've been thinking about?"

Shadestorm's eyes seem to glaze over, and her breathing seemed ragged and hoarse. Featherwhisker kept prodding her in different pressure points, trying to stop the spasms that kept rippling through her body.

"Featherwhisker!" Thistleclaw yowled. "What's wrong?"

Featherwhisker kept shaking his head. "Something's gone wrong. There's too much blood coming—and I can't stop it." His eyes were frightened as he wrapped cobwebs around the bleeding queen.

"Mommy?" Whitekit had woken up and was now bristling at his mother's paws. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

Snowfur picked up her kit by the scruff and hurried out of the nursery.

Shadestorm suddenly let out a bone-chilling scream that sent chills down Thistleclaw's spine. Featherwhisker dropped a wet bundle at Thistleclaw's paw and mewed, "Lick."

Thistleclaw bent his head down and began to lick the limp kit, his worries about his mate clouding his brain and keeping him from concentrating on anything.

"Thistle…claw…" Shadestorm was trying to speak, and Thistleclaw abandoned the kit and nuzzled the queen while trying to make out her words.

"Take…care…of…Tiger…kit…for me. Raise…him…to…be…a…good…warrior…" And then she drew the kit toward her with her last strength. "I…love…you…Tiger…kit…"

She drew a deep, shuddering breath, and then she lay still.

Shadestorm was dead.

Thistleclaw just stood still, staring at the dark tabby she-cat he had loved so much, more than life itself.

"_Mew._"

Thistleclaw slowly turned around and his gaze found the single kit Shadestorm had born, a dark tabby tom—almost the exact image of its dead mother.

A cold, icy hand gripped Thistlelclaw's heart as he stared at his son, the tom Shadestorm had hoped for, and he remembered how Shadestorm's last words had been said to the kit.

"Thistleclaw?" Featherwhisker began.

Thistleclaw pushed past him and stalked out of the nursery, past Snowfur's gaze, past Dappletail, who was keeping watch at the entrance to the camp, and ran blindly into the forest.

He knew he would _never_ love the kit that had killed his mate, and he would never take care of it, or treat it as a son.

Tigerkit would never be any kind of son of his.

He would only name it Tigerkit as it had been Shadestorm's last wish.

_Shadestorm._

Thistleclaw raised his head up to the sky and howled all his grief and pain so that it would reach all the ears of the StarClan cats, and especially Shadestorm—because, if any cat deserved to walk among StarClan, Shadestorm did.

"I love you, Shadestorm, but I'm sorry. I can never love our kit—your kit. For the kit who killed you is no kit of mine."

**So, how'd you like it? The next chapter will be from Thistleclaw's POV, and then the rest will probably be Tigerkit's POV. **

**Review please! Let me know what you think!**

**~LenzieKat~**


	2. The Pool of Prophecy

**Okay, before I start Chapter 2…I'm going to answer some questions.**

**Fawntail, thanks for your review! (No, really, thanks) Since you had some questions, here are my answers—**

**1) Yes, Gorseclaw and Spottedpelt are related to Tigerstar, but aren't his parents. The Erins haven't told us who his parents are.**

**2) Honestly, I didn't know the Erins changed Moonflower's name to Duskflower (oops… ********)**

**3) Will Thistleclaw bear a grudge against Featherwhisker? O.o I don't know! You'll have to read! ******

**Thanks to Fawntail, Boltstar, Firestorm75, GiggleluvsFang, and StarNight888 for your reviews. I am forever in your debt. ******

**Oh, and I forgot to put some cats in the allegiances. So there will be some new cats. **

**ThunderClan**

Leader---**Sunstar—a ginger tom with yellow stripes and green eyes (apprentice, Lionpaw)**

Deputy---**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom**

Medicine Cat---**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors---

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail**

**Moonflower—a long-haired white she-cat with amber eyes**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat **

Queens---

**Snowfur—a white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Whitekit, foster mother to Tigerkit)**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

Apprentices---

**Lionpaw—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle**

**Redpaw—a tortoiseshell tom with a ginger tail**

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

Elders---

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

**Chapter 2! Hooray! By the way, this picks up right where Chapter 1 left off.**

***~Shadestorm's POV**

I felt like I was being tortured by a thousand angry badgers. All I knew was that one minute I'd been talking with Thistleclaw, and then something in my belly seemed to explode. Then I was laying in a pool of my own blood, and there were blurs all around me that were talking and sounded very worried.

"Featherwhisker!" some cat yowled. "What's wrong?"

"Something's wrong," another cat meowed. "There's too much blood coming and I can't stop it." I felt cobwebs being wrapped around me.

"Mommy?" I heard a squeaking voice say. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, there was a burst of pain in my lower body, pain worse than anything I'd ever imagined. There was something ripping, tearing, and my heart seemed to beat abnormally fast. Then I couldn't stop myself. I screamed louder than I had ever screamed as something seemed to explode in me. I almost fell into unconsciousness then, but then I saw the only thing that could have kept me alive for a few more seconds.

Thistleclaw, my beloved mate, was licking a bundle of fur that kept squeaking pitifully. My heart leaped. _Tigerkit_. The tom I'd hoped for so much, the strong, wonderful kit. I tried to speak. "Thistle…claw…" The words wouldn't come out right. "Take…care…of…Tiger…kit…for…me…" My throat was so filled with blood that I almost couldn't speak at all. "Raise…him…to…be…a…good…warrior…" And then I used up every last drop of strength I had and drew my kit towards me. He opened his tiny pink mouth and wailed. My heart screamed with love for my son. "I…love…you…Tiger…kit…" I meant to turn to my mate and tell him the same, but my heart seemed to stop suddenly, and I fell into blackness…

And then I felt soft grass under my paws. Feeling new strength flow through my body, I sprang up, expecting to see Tigerkit at my belly and Thistleclaw by my side as well.

I was wrong.

Firstly, I saw that my paws seemed to be made of stars. Secondly, I was at Fourtrees, and thirdly, I was surrounded by starry cats. I was frozen in fear until another cat came forward and touched noses with me. It was my mother, Nightwhisker, who was killed by ShadowClan invaders when I was a kit.

"Mother! Where am I? I need to get back to Tigerkit! He's probably hungry…" I trailed off as I saw many off the cats exchange sad glances and sympathetic looks, and one cat in the back wailed. My mother herself seemed to look moons older as her head hung down and she shook it from side to side. "Shadestorm," she mewed. "Look." She and a few other cats stepped back to reveal the blood-stained body of a dark tabby she-cat. I stared at it for what seemed like days, and then I whispered, "That's me, isn't it?"

Nightwhisker nodded. "I'm afraid so."

For a minute I didn't understand what this meant. Then it hit me like a boulder.

"I…_died_?" I started shaking. "But…Tigerkit needs me! I can't leave him like this! He's only a kit! And I love him so much…and what about Thistleclaw? We were all going to be a family…one happy family…" I collapsed on the ground.

"Peace, daughter," Nightwhisker meowed. "All is not lost. Follow me." She padded over to a pool in the ground that shone like stars.

My paws feeling heavy as rocks, I padded after her and stared into the pool. "What?" I asked dully.

"This is the pool where prophecies are made, and also where we see what happens in the future of some certain kits. Whenever a kit is born, we watch the pool. Would you like to watch?" Nightwhisker beckoned me closer, and as I gazed at the shimmering waters, they shifted to reveal images.

Tigerkit, suckling beside Snowfur…Tigerkit, play-fighting with Whitekit…Tigerkit, growing big and strong…I purred, then my purrs suddenly stopped. Tigerkit, being scratched and beaten by Thistleclaw…Tigerkit, cowering in his father's shadow…Tigerkit, at his apprentice ceremony, shrinking in fear as Thistleclaw is appointed his mentor…Tigerkit, being beaten for catching only a mouse on a hunting assessment…Tigerkit, his heart growing dark with hatred…Tigerkit, being made a warrior…Tigerkit, killing his father on a patrol…Tigerkit…Tigerkit…_Tigerkit_.

My eyes were wide with shock and fear. "What is this?" I asked my mother, who was looking at the still-moving images with sorrow.

Nightwhisker sighed. "Thistleclaw loved you more than you will ever know. He loved you more than life itself, and only we know how excited he was to be a father, and have a family. But then when you died in your kitting, his heart was broken. He blames Tigerkit for your death, and—well, you see what will happen." She gestured to the pool.

"Cannot we protect him?" I pleaded.

Nightwhisker glanced at another StarClan warrior, a pure white tom, and they talked lowly for a bit. Then she turned back to me with a grim smile. "You can protect him," she meowed, "but at a price. You ca give all your strength, your courage, your skills, all of it, and your protection, to Tigerkit."

"Of course I will!" I yowled. "I love my son."

"There is a price, as I said. You will not be able to join StarClan until he does, or until his heart has grown too dark to let your love in. Should you do this, you will walk outside of StarClan's hunting grounds, and instead you shall walk as a ghost in the forest. Do you agree?"

"Yes, Mother. I would do anything to save my son."

Nightwhisker's amber eyes narrowed. "Are you absolutely sure?"

I nodded.

"Very well. Now, touch Star's nose," she flicked her tail on the white tom's shoulder, and her voice softened. "Good luck, my daughter, and I will be waiting for you when you finally join us."

I felt my heart swell with emotion, and I touched noses with the tom.

Immediately, I was falling…falling…until my paws lightly touched ground. I was in the ThunderClan nursery. I smiled widely, and padded over to Featherwhisker, who was applying medicine to a small dark tabby kit. Tigerkit. I rested my paw on his head for a minute. He couldn't feel it, but I could feel his warm fur that was ruffled and messy. I purred and sat down beside him. He mewed pitifully, and I licked his ears tenderly. Even though he had no idea I was here, he seemed to settle into a deeper sleep than before, and I curled up and watched his tiny flanks rising and falling as he breathed.

_I love you, my son. And I will protect you always, as best as I can._

*

**Thistleclaw's POV**

I returned to the nursery when dawn came, as Featherwhisker had requested. I didn't want to. I didn't care about my kit. The kit was a killer.

As I pushed through the curtain of lichen that hung in the entrance of the nursery, Snowfur pressed her flank against mine, and the other queen, Dappletail, blinked at me sadly.

"Featherwhisker has asked me to tell you that Tigerkit is fine and healthy. And that Shadestorm's—" her voice faltered— "And that Shadestorm's kitting went wrong because Tigerkit had been moving inside of her and broken some bones."

I just stood there, not speaking, and Snowfur continued. "I still have some milk left, so I'll go ahead and take care of him." She looked at me, hoping for an answer, and I had a good excuse not to give one when Sunstar's voice rang out.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

I slowly padded out and sat down apart from my other Clanmates, who were giving me sympathetic glances.

As soon as the whole Clan was listening, Sunstar went on. "Many of you know by now that Shadestorm died in her kitting last night." He turned his head to me. "She had one kit, Tigerkit, who, thank StarClan, is healthy and strong. The Clan grieves for Shadestorm, and we will hold her vigil tonight." He bowed his head for a minute, and the rest of the Clan followed suit. Then he spoke again, and I was barely listening.

"I can now turn to a happier duty. My apprentice, Lionpaw, fought against an invading RiverClan patrol at Sunningrocks, and I think he is ready to become a warrior. Lionpaw, come up here." Sunstar beckoned with his tail. Lionpaw proudly padded up to his mentor, his golden fur gleaming from his mother, Speckletail, having groomed him. As Lionpaw approached the leader, Sunstar called out: "I, Sunstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He had trained hard to understand the way of your noble code, and I commend him to you as warrior in his turn. Lionpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Lionpaw's eyes gleamed as he replied, "I do."

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Lionpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Lionheart. StarClan honors your courage and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Sunstar rested his muzzle on the newly named Lionheart's head, and Lionheart licked his former mentor's shoulder in return.

"Lionheart! Lionheart!" the Clan chanted.

Thistleclaw watched the whole ceremony in disgust. What was the point of making new warriors with an extravagant ceremony? They should only do that with _wonderful_ cats, like Shadestorm. At the thought of her, Thistleclaw's heart wailed and he silently padded to the warriors' den, not even pausing to congratulate Lionheart on his way.

*

As night fell, Shadestorm's body was moved into the clearing for the vigil. Thistleclaw didn't think he could bear to see his mate's body, but he trudged out anyway and pushed his nose into the cold dark tabby fur.

"Thistleclaw?" Snowfur's voice made him jump, and then he growled as he saw Tigerkit hanging from the white queen's jaws. She laid him down beside his mother's body, and he buried himself in her fur.

"What is Tigerkit doing here?" Thistleclaw snarled.

"I thought he should help see his mother off to StarClan. I know it's what Shadestorm would want."

**Shadestorm's POV**

My heart swelled with gratitude as I saw Snowfur lay Tigerkit down beside my body. Ghost though I was, I nuzzled my kit on his tabby head, and he let out a squeak. Thistleclaw growled at him, and I felt anger at the cat who I once loved so much. If what I had seen in the pool was true, then I would _never_ love Thistleclaw again.

I did not know what to do if Tigerkit became the traitor and killer that the pool had prophesied.

**Okay, that's the end of Chapter 2! What will happen to poor Tigerkit? (Omg, I said **POOR** Tigerkit… this story is making me feel sorry for him!) **

**Please Read and Review! And I know Runningwind is younger than Tigerstar, but in this fic I made him older. Deal with it.**

**~LenzieKat~**

_. _


	3. Opening Eyes

**Hi! **

**Thank you to the people who sent in reviews: Boltstar, Fawntail, and GiggleluvsFang**

**So please review this chapter!**

**Chapter 3!**

**Tigerkit plushies for everyone!**

*******

**ThunderClan**

Leader---**Sunstar—a ginger tom with yellow stripes and green eyes **

Deputy---**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom**

Medicine Cat---**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors---

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail (apprentice, Redpaw)**

**Moonflower—a long-haired white she-cat with amber eyes**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle**

Queens---

**Snowfur—a white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Whitekit, foster mother to Tigerkit)**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

Apprentices---

**Redpaw—a tortoiseshell tom with a ginger tail**

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

Elders---

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

*******

**Tigerkit's POV**

I kneaded my paws into the fur of my mother, and I purred as I drank in her milk. My eyes would not open yet, but I could still taste, smell, and feel. I could also hear a bit, although everything sounded a bit fuzzy, and I could never quite figure out what any cat was saying. Every day though, my hearing got better and I almost opened my eyes earlier, but they wouldn't open all the way, so I was still in darkness.

But I was going to try again, and maybe by the end of today I would be able to communicate with my mother and every other cat I would meet.

Suddenly my mother got up and walked away, and I let out a shrill wail. I didn't want her to leave! Then Mother was back and murmuring something in my ear. I strained to make sense of the words.

"…kit…leader…den…"

Oh, I thought. She had to go somewhere, to the leader's den. From what I had been able to hear, I lived in a place called ThunderClan, and there was a leader and a cat who healed other cats. My mother was called a queen, but I could never pick up her real name. I knew my name was Tigerkit, and I shared Mother with another cat called Whitekit. I didn't know the whole name. I also knew that I had a father named Something-claw. I didn't know his name either, but I could recognize his scent. It smelled kind of like mine, except there was something else in his scent that no other cat had. I think Father is sad about something. I wish I knew what. Then I could make him feel better and then maybe he'd spend more time with me. Maybe he neglected me now because I couldn't see or hear well, and he wanted to wait until I was older.

My tiny ears pricked as I heard some other cats mewing near me.

"…Shade…death…vigil…omen…Featherwhisker…medicine…"

What was Shade? I wondered. I knew death was when a cat went away for a long time and you never saw them again. But I had heard some cat talking about something called StarClan, where the dead cats went. I didn't get why dead cats had to live up in the sky. There was plenty of room in the forest.

I felt a weight shifting in my nest. Oh, good. Mother had come back.

Suddenly, my eyes flew open, and hazy images appeared in front of me. I heard Mother start purring, and I looked at her. All of a sudden, a word popped up in my head. _White_. I knew that white was the color of Mother's fur, and blue was the color for her eyes. I looked at Whitekit next. He looked like Mother, except his eyes were the color yellow. I tried to say something.

"Mommy," I squeaked. Mother jumped up and ran out of the den, leaving me to explore.

I peered at the nests that we slept in. Immediately I knew that they were made of moss and were the color green.

Whitekit smiled at me. "..play fight…" I heard him say. I didn't understand what he meant. What was a 'play fight'? I looked blankly at the white kit, and his face became full of understanding. "…like…this…" he meowed. He crouched down on the ground and moved slowly forward and pounced on a leaf.

"Ohh!" I mewed. I batted Whitekit with my small paws, he batted back and soon we were tackling each other, my unsteady legs wobbly as Whitekit pushed me on the ground with his much stronger legs. He pinned me on the ground and squeaked in victory. "I won!"

That was the first time I'd ever heard a full sentence! I grinned and somehow, I gained some strength from somewhere and was able to throw Whitekit off me. This time I mewed, "_I _won!"

My first sentence! I rolled on my back with my paws waving in the air, laughing. Whitekit did too.

***

**Shadestorm's POV **

I sat down and watched Tigerkit suckle from Snowfur. He was half a moon old now, and should be opening his eyes soon. I already could tell that he could hear a bit.

Being a ghost wasn't like I thought it would be. I could still catch prey and drink. It was like I was still alive, but I no cat could see or hear me. I could see and hear them, though, and I had a feeling that Tigerkit subconsciously knew I was here.

Even though all my StarClan given strength and fighting skills were being given to Tigerkit, I still had regular warrior skills that I had before I died—they were just a little weaker since I wouldn't go eat. All my time was divided between Tigerkit and Thistleclaw. I relished in watching my kit grow up and learn about the world around him. When I watched Thistleclaw, I just felt sadness in my heart as he avoided our kit, and behaved coldly to the other cats in the Clan. At night I watched him look at the stars and murmur my name, and that always stirred a prickle of pity inside me.

I laughed as I saw Tigerkit and Whitekit play-fighting, and as I laughed, Tigerkit was pinned down by the other kit, and my son pushed him off. Then I was flooded with pride as Tigerkit meowed his first full sentence.

Suddenly something caught my eye. Thistleclaw was leaving camp with Lionheart, Halftail, and Redpaw. I cast one last look at Tigerkit and padded after my former mate.

I followed them to the RiverClan border, where Redpaw stiffened and opened his jaws to draw in air. "Halftail? I—I think I smell RiverClan."

Halftail paused and scented the air. "Thistleclaw," he meowed. "I think Redpaw's right. I smell RiverClan too."

Thistleclaw snorted. "Of course you mousebrains are going to smell RiverClan. We're right on the border. It would be worrying if you _didn't _smell RiverClan."

"But I smell them over there, by Sunningrocks!" Redpaw meowed.

I personally thought Redpaw was right. I ran around a patch of trees to the Sunningrocks and sure enough, RiverClan was there. I saw Crookedjaw, the deputy, two warriors I didn't recognize, and an apprentice that I thought might be Leopardpaw. They were draped over the rocks, seemingly waiting for a ThunderClan patrol to come by. Of course, they couldn't see me or hear me when I hissed at them for wanting to take ThunderClan territory.

"Crookedjaw," one of the warriors—a white tom with gray patches—meowed. "When do you think a patrol will come this way? I'm getting hungry."

Crookedjaw sighed. "Then go get some prey," he told the tom.

"But I don't want to swim all across the river again," the tom complained.

"Then get some prey here, Dusktail," Crookedjaw retorted.

"Crookedjaw, I don't think we should take their prey," the other warrior—a gray she-cat—mewed. "This is ThunderClan territory, after all."

Dusktail gave her an exasperated look. "Yes, Graypool, but the obviously should be RiverClan territory. It's right by the river, after all, and we _own_ the river." He smirked.

I sank my claws into the ground, wishing I could shake some sense into the fox-hearted RiverClan cats.

Leopardpaw mewed hesitantly, "But what if ThunderClan already knows we're here, and they're heading this way with more warriors?" She looked at Crookedjaw with worry.

He gave her a reassuring flick on her shoulder. "ThunderClan is so mousebrained that they couldn't pick up a scent if it attacked them and tore up the forest," he snorted.

"Okay.." Leopardpaw mewed uncertainly.

I heard a rustling at spun around to see Thistleclaw, Halftail, Lionheart, and Redpaw bursting through the bushes. The ThunderClan and RiverClan cats were evenly matched.

Thistleclaw hissed at the intruders, and I was glad that we had spent moons training together when we were apprentices and even when we were warriors. I remembered going over the exact same battle moves he was using now. Maybe the image in the pool had been wrong. Thistleclaw seemed like a loyal warrior.

I watched as Redpaw and Leopardpaw engaged each other in a fierce tussle. Redpaw bit down on Leopardpaw's tail, and she screeched in pain and ran over to the river and swam back into her own territory. Graypool followed her after Lionheart raked his claws down her belly.

Thistleclaw was battling Dusktail. Thistleclaw pushed his paw at Dusktail's throat and Dusktail yowled, until Thistleclaw increased the pressure and Dusktail's breathing stopped and he began writhing in pain.

_Stop it_, I thought. _You always were taught not to kill cats unless you _have _to._

Thistleclaw of course didn't hear me and I couldn't believe what he did next.

He ripped his claws across Dusktail's throat and Dusktail stopped moving and his eyes glazed over. Crookedjaw forced Lionheart and Halftail away and ran over to his dead Clanmate. Thistleclaw threw himself at the grieving warrior and Crookedjaw leaped back from him. .

"Come back and fight like a real warrior," Thistleclaw snarled.

Crookedjaw picked up Dusktail's body by the scruff and began hauling him toward the river. Thistleclaw tried to attack him again, but Halftail, Redpaw, and Lionheart held him back.

"It is not honorable to kill in cold blood, Thistleclaw," Halftail hissed.

"That crow-food was trespassing on our territory!" Thistleclaw growled. However, he began padding back to the camp. "We have to tell Sunstar about this."

Halftail sighed and beckoned the others with his tail. I saw Redpaw give Lionheart a worried look, and then they rushed after Halftail's retreating figure.

I gazed sadly at spot where Thistleclaw had disappeared. I didn't understand how such a loving, caring cat could turn this way.

***

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Nightwhisker peered at the shimmering spot where a cat would soon be appearing—a RiverClan cat named Dusktail.

The spot gleamed and then a white tom with gray patches came into view, gasping and scrabbling in the grass. "W—where am I?"

A smaller she-cat with starry gray and white fur stepped forward and touched noses with Dusktail. "Welcome, brother, although I wish you hadn't come here so early."

Dusktail's eyes widened. "Leapkit! I…I thought you died from greencough when we were kits!"

Leapkit purred. "Yes, I know. But I am a member of StarClan now."

Dusktail gasped. "I…died?"

"Yes," Nightwhisker put in. "Thistleclaw killed you in the battle over Sunningrocks." She stalked over to the pool and beckoned Dusktail to it. He looked in and saw an image of Thistleclaw with blood on his paws, staring at Dusktail's limp body.

"Dusktail, it is time for your ceremony," Leapkit meowed. Dusktail padded over to his sister, who rested her tail on his shoulder. "Dusktail, you have been a loyal and brave warrior of RiverClan, and have given up your life for the sake of your Clanmates. It is your wish to enter StarClan, and therefore protect all the Clans for the rest of eternity?"

"I do," Dusktail meowed firmly.

Nightwhisker watched the ceremony sadly, wishing that the same ceremony could have been performed for Shadestorm. But her daughter was now roaming the forest as a ghost.

_Come home soon, daughter. We are waiting for you. _

***

**So please review and tell me what you think! Dusktail is going to be a more important character, so tell me what you think about him!**

**Come on, press the review button. Press it. You know you want to… Come on, it's begging you… listen to it… "Press me, strange person, press me!"**

**PLEASE PRESS IT!**

**Thanks!**

**~LenzieKat~**

**By the way, if you don't get how Shadestorm is a ghost…**

**She can hear and see everyone, but they can't hear or see her. She can catch prey and drink, but can't die. She can feel and touch things, but they don't feel it.**

**Bye!**


	4. Do You Understand?

**Hi everyone!**

**Chapter 4!**

**Thanks to Fawntail, spiritwolf46, GiggleluvsFang, Firestorm75, and Boltstar for your reviews. :)**

**Dusktail plushies and Prophecy Pools for everyone!**

*****

ThunderClan

Leader---**Sunstar—a ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy---**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom**

Medicine Cat---**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors---

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail (apprentice, Redpaw)**

**Moonflower—a long-haired white she-cat with amber eyes**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle**

Queens---

**Snowfur—a white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Whitekit, foster mother to Tigerkit)**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

Apprentices---

**Redpaw—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail **

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

Elders---

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

*******

**Tigerkit's POV**

Mother dropped a mouse in front of me and Whitekit, and I licked my lips. "Thank you, Mother!" I mewed.

I was four moons old now, and I was finally allowed to go out into the forest for the first time! Whitekit had already gone out with Bluefur, Mother's sister, and now I was going to go with Thistleclaw, my father! I was so excited to finally get to spend time with him, because he had avoided me ever since I opened my eyes.

He still has that sad feeling. It always becomes different when he sees me. The sad feeling gets more intense, and there's a bit of anger in it too. I wonder why.

"Tigerkit. Tigerkit!" Mother is calling me.

"Sorry, Mother!" I hurried over to where Mother and Whitekit were seated by the camp entrance, Thistleclaw looming next to them. I trip over my paws in my hurry to get to them, and I tumbled at Thistleclaw's paws in a flurry of paws and tail. A growling came up in his throat, and I straightened up. "I'm sorry, Father," I apologized.

Thistleclaw said nothing, just glared at me.

"Tell me about it when you get back!" Whitekit meowed. "I remember my first time in the forest! It was amazing! I can't wait until I'm an apprentice. Then I can go to the forest all the time!"

A prickle of envy overcame me as I recalled that Whitekit was almost two moons older than I; he would be made an apprentice soon.

"Come on," Thistleclaw growled. "I don't have all day."

"Good-bye, Tigerkit. I'll want to hear all about it!" Mother called after me as I raced after Thistleclaw into the trees. I was kind of annoyed that he wouldn't slow down—my paws weren't all that big—but eventually we came to a stop in a sandy clearing. I panted, trying to catch my breath. "Father," I meowed. "Why couldn't Mother come?"

Thistleclaw then did something that completely shocked me. He roared and scratched me down my flank. "Don't call me that! You are no son of mine!"

I whimpered. "Fath—Thistleclaw, what's wrong? Why did you do that? That hurt."

"Why did I do it?" Thistleclaw thrust his head in my face, and I saw that his eyes had a crazed look to them. "Because you are a killer!"

"No, I'm not. I've never killed a cat _ever_, and I don't want to _ever_. It's a bad thing to do."

"Yes, you have!" Thistleclaw spat. I flattened myself against the ground as he began swiping his paws at me. "You killed your mother!"

"I never hurt Snowfur!" I mewed disbelievingly. "You saw her—she was there, at the camp!"

"She is not your mother!" the mad gray tom hissed. "Your mother was—" I saw him wince as he said _was_—"Your mother was Shadestorm, and she died giving _you_ life! You killed her, and you don't deserve the life she gave you!" He pinned me to the ground, and I shook under his huge paws.

"I—I didn't _mean_ to!" I wailed.

Thistleclaw dug one claw into my left ear and ripped it, making a deep V shape. I screamed in pain. "Father, stop!"

He sank a claw into the bridge of my nose and yanked it out so quickly that blood welled up and ran down my face. "Father! Stop it, _please_!" I tried to run away from that—that monster, but he dragged me back and threw me against the trunk of an oak. "Help me! Anyone, _someone_!" I screeched.

As if StarClan themselves had heard my prayer, I felt new strength surge through my veins and I was able to get up and I tried to run away again, but Thistleclaw sank his claws into my tail and hovered over me. "If you tell any cat what happened here," he breathed into my ear, "I will _kill_ you. Understand?"

My eyes widened, and I started hyperventilating. "I—I—I understand, Fa—Thistleclaw."

"Good." Thistleclaw grabbed some thorns and shoved them into my flesh. I squeaked in pain. "What are these for?"

"I can't have cats asking why you're bleeding like this. Got to have an excuse." He finished and pushed me toward the trees. I stumbled and then picked up pace and started running for the safety of the camp, for Snowfur and Whitekit, who—wait. What if they hurt me like Thistleclaw did? I had trusted him and then he had betrayed me. What if Snowfur and Whitekit were the same? I briefly wondered if I should just run away from ThunderClan and everything, but I knew I couldn't. I kept running, and exploded into the cam when I got there. Thistleclaw was right on my tail. "Remember, if you say anything, I'll kill you," he hissed to me. I numbly nodded and Thistleclaw pushed me to the medicine den. Featherwhisker padded out, his calm expression turning to shock as he saw me bleeding.

"Thistleclaw? What happened to Tigerkit?"

"He fell into some thorns," Thistleclaw answered curtly. "I got most of them out, but there are still a few stuck in him."

Featherwhisker located the thorns and fastened his teeth around one Thistleclaw had stuck near my injured ear. He pulled, and the thorn came out, followed by a spurt of blood. I squeaked in pain, and Featherwhisker put some dock on the cut. "It's all right," he assured me. "Many older and wiser cats have gotten stuck with thorns. You just have to be careful and there—no problem."

_Yes_, I thought. _But you don't know what my problem _really _is_. I glanced nervously at Thistleclaw, who was sitting by me. Any passing by cat would think he was doing it out of concern—but I knew he was making sure I wasn't going to tell any cat what he had done to me.

Featherwhisker finished treating me. "There you go," he meowed. "Good as new. You're lucky your father was there to get bring you back here, or some of those wounds could have been serious. Run along now, Tigerkit."

Thistleclaw stalked away, and I sprinted off to the nursery. Snowfur ran out and stopped when she saw me covered in dock and cobwebs. "Tigerkit!" she yowled. "What happened to you?" She picked me up by my scruff and carried me to my nest, where she set me down and began giving me a furious licking. Dappletail, the other queen, abandoned her kits to help.

"I—I fell in some thorns," I mewed.

Whitekit jumped over to me. "Ouch, that must have hurt," he meowed sympathetically.

I nodded. "Snowfur? Is it true that I killed my real mother?"

Snowfur stiffened. "Thistleclaw told you?"

"Y—yes."

"Well, Tigerkit, you need to know that you did _not_ kill Shadestorm. It was just a very unfortunate thing, her death, and you must _never_ think that you killed her. Do you understand?" Snowfur sounded unusually fierce.

I nodded again. "Yes, Snowfur."

Snowfur's eyes softened as she looked at me. "And Tigerkit, I love you as much as if you were my own son."

I smiled.

***

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Dusktail looked into the pool and saw his killer torturing that dark tabby kit…Tigerkit. He felt extremely protective of the small kit, and extremely hateful of Thistleclaw.

"It is sad, isn't it?" Nightwhisker meowed sadly. "To think that Thistleclaw turned out the way he did…"

"I met him a couple of times at Gatherings with his mate Shadestorm. He was a completely different cat than he is now," Dusktail told her.

Leapkit padded up to them. "I know I was RiverClan," she mewed, "but I would do anything to help poor Tigerkit. I have seen what he will become if Thistleclaw keeps on, and I wish to change that."

Nightwhisker nodded. "We can only hope that my daughter is helping him and protecting him."

***

**Shadestorm's POV**

I watched as Thistleclaw led my Tigerkit into the training hollow. Tigerkit stopped, out of breath, and asked, "Father, why couldn't Mother come?"

I gasped as my former mate raked his claw down my son's flanks. "Do not say that! You are no son of mine!"

_Yes, but he is _my_ son_. Even though I knew it was hopeless, I barreled myself into Thistleclaw's body. He was unmovable, and was like a stone wall, and I crashed into him with a sickening thud. Thistleclaw hadn't even felt a thing, judging by the way his glare remained fixed on the cowering Tigerkit.

"Fath—Thistleclaw," he mewed, "Why did you do that? That hurt."

My heart wailed at his naïve question, at his innocence, at his obvious confusion.

Thistleclaw growled. "Why did I do it? Because you are a killer!"

I saw the madness in his eyes, and at that moment I knew that the kind, gentle cat I had once known was gone forever. In his place was this heartless monster.

Tigerkit's eyes widened, and in his kitten voice he squeaked, "No I didn't! I never killed a cat ever, and I don't want to ever. It's a bad thing to do."

"Yes, you have!" Thistleclaw roared, and I saw Tigerkit flatten himself against the ground. "You killed your mother!"

"I never hurt Snowfur!" Tigerkit mewed, and my stomach clenched as I realized that he truly believed Snowfur was his mother.

I watched helplessly as Thistleclaw ripped and tore at my son, and I suddenly felt such a powerful surge of anger that it seemed to drain out of me and Tigerkit seemed to absorb it. He gained enough of my StarClan strength so that he was able to throw his father off him and the small dark tabby kit tried to flee. Unfortunately, Thistleclaw pulled him back.

My son, my beloved son, was being beaten before my very eyes, and I was not able to help him.

Thistleclaw pinned Tigerkit down with his paws and hissed in his ear. "If you tell any cat what happened here, I will kill you. Understand?"

"I—I—I understand, Fa—Thistleclaw," Tigerkit squeaked.

"Good." Thistleclaw began shoving thorns into my kit's fur, and mumbled something about the medicine cat den.

I couldn't bear it. I ran back to the camp and into Featherwhisker's den, waiting for my son to come and be treated.

_There is a war going on inside Thistleclaw. But soon he shall cause a war between him and his son._

I would do anything to be back in the nursery, chatting with Snowfur, sharing tongues with Thistleclaw, and playing with Tigerkit. That was my happily ever after.

Until it had been taken from me.

And I would betray a dozen Clans, fight a hundred battles, and die a thousand deaths to get that happily ever after.

But then, I realized, I had given it up to give Tigerkit life—and I found I did not regret that.

***

**Yay! I finished Chapter 4!!!**

**Now, children, your homework for tonight is to review this story—and any of my other stories that appeal to you. You can even flame—but I'd rather you complimented my story. :) **

**Time to answer reviews!**

**Boltstar—Thanks for pointing that out for me. Yes, the rule applies solely to cats. **

**Fawntail—In my mind, kittens are much smarter than human babies, so I think StarClan sends kits that common knowledge when they need it. And yes, Shadestorm's prey can feel her, but cats have no clue she is there. And I'm not really sure about that one sentence.**

**See that little button down there—the reviewing one? Do me a favor and press it. Pleeeeeeeeeease? Pretty pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?**

**Bye!**

**~LenzieKat~**


	5. Terrible Fate

**Hi! Here's an extra-long chapter. It took me a week to write this. Tigerkit is older now.**

**Review when you've finished reading this!**

**Here's Chapter 5!**

**Review review review.**

*******

ThunderClan

Leader---**Sunstar—a ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy---**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom**

Medicine Cat---**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors---

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail (apprentice, Redpaw)**

**Moonflower—a long-haired white she-cat with amber eyes**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle**

Queens---

**Snowfur—a white she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Whitekit, foster mother to Tigerkit)**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

Apprentices---

**Redpaw—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail**

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

Elders---

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

*******

**Thistleclaw's POV**

I padded into Sunstar's den, where he was eating a vole. He lifted his golden head when he saw me. "Thistleclaw," he meowed, seemingly slightly surprised, "What do you want?"

I feigned a look of hopefulness. "I was wondering if I could mentor Tigerkit when he reaches six moons."

Sunstar seemed taken aback. "W—well, fathers and mothers don't usually mentor their own kits."

"Oh." I pretended to be sad, inwardly imagining that killer kit's fur beneath my claws and I ripped at the ground.

"But…" Sunstar's eyes softened. "Considering your recent and traumatic loss, I feel it would be good for your to mentor your son." He smiled. "Yes, you may."

"Thank you, Sunstar." I dipped my head and rushed out of the den.

I had to mentor my son to make sure he learned his lesson for killing my beloved mate.

**Tigerkit's POV**

Whitekit jumped on me. "I can't wait! I'm so glad Sunstar let me wait so we could be apprentices together!"

I nodded. Thistleclaw hadn't attacked me again, but I could feel his eyes watching me with every breath I took, every step, every word. He kept whispering in my ear, "Do not forget…I _will_ kill you…" Every time he said that, my body started shaking until Snowfur asked me what was wrong. Thistleclaw would always tell her that I was sick. As a result, I ended up spending a lot of time in the medicine den. Featherwhisker could probably tell I wasn't sick, but he never said anything, just taught me about some basic herbs. He also made me eat an icky poultice that he said would help me gain strength.

"Tigerkit?" Whitekit asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Well? Who do you think it will be?"

"Huh? Who what?" I shook my head to clear it.

"Who do you think will be our mentors?" Whitekit mewed impatiently.

"Oh." I blinked. "I guess it's up to Sunstar. I hope I get Stonepelt. He's one of the best warriors in the Clan."

"I hope I get—" Whitekit was interrupted by Snowfur padding into the nursery.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Whitekit meowed.

Snowfur collapsed on the ground. "Just tired," she meowed.

There were more paw steps, and Bluefur appeared. I noticed that her belly was slightly swollen, and wondered who the father of her kits was and whether he would be like my father. I hoped not.

"Come on," Bluefur meowed. "The ceremony's starting."

"Okay." Snowfur got to her paws and nudged Whitekit. "Oh, look at you two," she fussed. "You should be looking more groomed for your apprentice ceremony."

"No!" I squeaked, but Snowfur and Bluefur started licking Whitekit and me, making sure every strand of fur was in place. I squirmed.

"Snowfur," I complained. "We look fine."

"Please, Mother! We'll be late, and then Sunstar will make Dappletail's kits apprentices before us!" Whitekit exclaimed.

"Oh, I don't think so," Dappletail purred from a corner, where her three kits were scrambling over her. "These kits are too young."

Snowfur beamed at us. "You two are so big now! I remember when you were no bigger than a shrew!"

"We were never that small!" Whitekit protested.

Snowfur rolled her blue eyes at him. "Come on, and remember to touch noses with your new mentor."

Bluefur fell into step beside me. "How has Thistleclaw been treating you?"

At that moment, I knew that she knew—if only a bit—of how Thistleclaw had been treating me. At that moment, I desperately wished that she could be my mentor—until I remembered that she already had an apprentice, Runningpaw. Perhaps he would be made a warrior today and I would become Bluefur's new apprentice. My paws tingled at the thought of training under such a great warrior. But Runningpaw was still too young.

We reached the Highrock where Sunstar was sitting and where the Clan was gathered. When the Clan grew silent, Sunstar raised his voice. "Today is great day for ThunderClan. By naming warriors and apprentices, we show other Clans that we are strong. Like ShadowClan, who seem to want our territory and invaded us today. Thankfully, they were driven off."

Voices rang out. "We should attack them!"

"We've got to have revenge!"

"ShadowClan must be taught a lesson!"

"Silence!" Sunstar waved his tail. "We will deal with ShadowClan later! First, it is time for Redpaw to become a warrior!"

Redpaw's mouth dropped open, and he and Halftail, his mentor, padded up to the Highrock.

"I, Sunstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has worked hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend to you as warrior in his turn. Redpaw, do you promise to uphold the code and protect the Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Redpaw meowed, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Redpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Redtail. StarClan honors your bravery and quick thinking and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Sunstar rested his muzzle on Redtail's head, and Redtail licked his leader's shoulder.

"Redtail! Redtail!" I chanted with the rest of the Clan. I couldn't wait for it to be me up there, getting my warrior name.

Redtail joined his friend Lionheart at the foot of the boulder.

"Now it is time to make two new apprentices. Whitekit, Tigerkit." Sunstar beckoned with his tail. I scrambled up to my leader along with Whitekit.

"Making apprentices is a good thing for ThunderClan, for it shows Clans like ShadowClan that we remain strong. Whitekit, from now on you will be known as Whitepaw."

Whitepaw nodded enthusiastically.

"Tawnyspots, you are an experienced warrior. You will be Whitepaw's mentor. I know that you will pass on this experience to Whitepaw, and I know that you will make him into a warrior ThunderClan can be proud of."

Whitepaw scampered up to his new mentor and touched noses with him.

"Tigerkit," Sunstar called to me, and I felt my body tingle with excitement.

"From now on you will be known as Tigerpaw."

Tigerpaw! I thought. My whiskers quivered; I could barely hold my excitement in.

"Thistleclaw, you are ready for an apprentice. You will be Tigerpaw's mentor. Both of you have known grief and found the strength to deal with it. Thistleclaw, I hope you will pass on this wisdom to your son and mold him into a fine warrior."

I froze. Thistleclaw was to be my mentor? I shivered as he came to touch noses with me. I shrank back from him, cowering to the ground.

"Touch noses," Thistleclaw growled. He unsheathed his claws the tiniest bit and I rushed forward and hurriedly touched noses with my father. I then followed him down off the Highrock.

"Tawnyspots, can we see the territory now?" Whitepaw was mewing.

"Of course," Tawnyspots answered.

Whitepaw caught my eye. "Can Tigerpaw come too?"

My heart lifted. Surely if I was with other cats, Thistleclaw would not hurt me. But it sank as Thistleclaw replied, "No, I want to show him the territory alone."

I felt ready to cry as I padded after my new mentor into the forest. Part of me was screaming to run back, but I would only get in trouble if I did.

Suddenly, Thistleclaw lashed out at my face. I yowled and swatted at him with my paws, but it was no use.

"Killer!" Thistleclaw shrieked as he ripped and tore at my body.

I whimpered.

"Now go catch some prey for the Clan, you useless lump!" Thistleclaw let me go.

"B—but I don't know _how_ to hunt!" I wailed.

"Go!"

I streaked away into the trees, making sure Thistleclaw was far away before I slowed.

I knew I had to catch something, so I sniffed the air and picked up a wisp of scent. "Mouse!" I spotted a small brown creature scuttling among some ferns. I wondered how to catch it.

Perhaps I should set my paws down lightly; for I had seen other cats hunt. Mice can feel pawsteps.

I stepped, careful not to put down much weight, and when I was close enough, I pounced. The mouse didn't have time to run away, so I bit the neck and it fell limp. Pride flooded my veins. I had caught my first piece of prey on my first day as an apprentice! And I hadn't even had training yet.

I couldn't smell any more prey, so I picked the mouse up in my jaws and padded off to Thistleclaw. He was taking a nap in the sandy clearing. I prodded him and laid the mouse down. "Thistleclaw," I mewed. "I caught some prey."

He opened one eye and stared at the small offering. "You call _this_ prey!" He snorted. "At this rate, you'll be hunting worse than a kittypet!"

Anger made me defensive, and I fluffed out my fur. "You never even _taught_ me how to hunt! You're a terrible father and mentor."

Thistleclaw seemed to be trying to keep his anger in. "Come on," he grunted. "I have to patrol the ShadowClan border with Bluefur, Runningpaw, Moonflower, and Patchpelt." He raced off through the undergrowth, and I ran after him, my short legs making it harder to keep up.

We reached the border. Patchpelt shot a glance at me. "Is it wise to bring a new apprentice along? Maybe you should get another warrior to do the patrol."

"No. I think this will be a good experience for Tigerpaw," Thistleclaw meowed curtly. "Let's go."

As we patrolled, Bluefur pointed out landmarks to me. "See those rocks over there?" She waved her tail in the opposite direction. "That's Snakerocks."

"_Snake_rocks?" I squeaked.

"Yes, there are adders there. Steer clear of that area for a while. You'd make a good meal for a snake now! Wait until you're bigger."

I nodded.

"Open your mouth and smell the air," Bluefur directed.

I did so, and gagged when a putrid scent drifted past me. "What's that?"

Bluefur made a face. "ShadowClan scent."

I sniffed again. "It smells fresh," I reported.

"Fresh?!" Moonflower tasted the air. "He's right! It does smell fresh."

"Is ShadowClan trespassing again?" Runningpaw mewed.

"Of course it does, mousebrain. We're right here," a voice drawled, and a whole ShadowClan patrol stepped out of the bushes. I recognized a few from descriptions. I saw Nightpelt and Cinderfur, and the deputy, Foxheart, but the rest were strangers to me.

"This territory belongs to ShadowClan!" Foxheart hissed. "Attack!" She and the others sprang at us, and I found myself facing a small black-and-white apprentice. She was older than me, of course, and knew more fighting moves. Right away she started shredding my fur. I yowled a battle cry and did the same. I was amazed that I was fighting so well. It almost seemed like some cat was fighting beside me, maybe a StarClan warrior.

I leaped on the apprentice and sank my teeth into her tail. "Take that!" I mewed.

"After you, crowfood!" she hissed.

I snarled and did the only thing that seemed right—I grabbed her by the neck.

She squirmed. "Let me go!"

"Never!" I tightened my grip.

"No, Tigerpaw!" Moonflower yowled, temporarily turning away from her attacker. "ThunderClan warriors do not kill unless they have to! Where is the honor in that?"

I saw a shadow stalking her. "Moonflower, look out!" I screeched.

My warning was too late. The ShadowClan warrior sprang and bit Moonflower's neck. Moonflower fell limp, and blood gushed from the wound.

"Mother!" Bluefur shrieked. She sent the warrior she was battling running for home, then she rushed over to the dead cat. "Mother!" she wailed.

Thistleclaw scared off two more ShadowClan warriors, and Foxheart yowled, "Retreat!" They left.

"Moonflower!" Patchpelt gasped. "Who did this?"

"It was that dark gray tom," I mewed. "He attacked her when she wasn't looking."

Patchpelt growled. "Fox-hearted ShadowClan!"

Bluefur threw her head back and wailed. "What will I say to Snowfur?"

Snowfur and Bluefur were sisters, and they were sure too be grieved at their mother's death.

Patchpelt sighed. "We better get back to camp." Looking at me, he added, "You fought well, young Tigerpaw. It is only your first day as an apprentice, yet you fought with a moon's worth of experience."

"Thank you," I mewed. "It seemed like someone was fighting alongside me, like a StarClan warrior."

I glanced at Thistleclaw, and he did something very strange. He froze and stared out at nothing.

"Thistleclaw?" Runningpaw asked. "What's wrong? Did you see another ShadowClan warrior?"

Thistleclaw shook his head as if trying to clear an image from his mind. Then he looked at me and something seemed to come over him. His eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hatred. "No," he growled. "I thought I saw—never mind." He glanced around and poked in the shadows. "Nothing!" he gasped. "How…" He trailed off when Patchpelt looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Come on," Patchpelt mewed. "We'd better get back to the camp so we can sit vigil for Moonflower." He gave a dejected sigh and padded away, beckoning with his tail and carrying Moonflower's body. Thistleclaw dashed after him. I followed him too, running alongside Runningpaw. He was faster than me, hence his name. Bluefur lagged behind. Me and Runningpaw slowed and padded beside her.

"It's okay, Bluefur. Moonflower has gone to hunt with StarClan. She will be safe there, watching over the forest," I meowed.

"Yes," Runningpaw agreed. "She died fighting for her Clan. Every cat will honor her." He pressed his nose in his mentor's fur.

A spark of life seemed to come in her eyes. "Thanks, you two. But not even StarClan could cheer me up now."

We reached the camp, and Patchpelt went to talk to Sunstar. Bluefur went over to Snowfur, who had resumed warrior duties now that Whitepaw and I were apprentices. The thought of Whitepaw made me look for him, and I spotted him by the nursery, playing with Dappletail's kits.

"There you are!" he exclaimed when he saw me. "I saw Moonflower's body. What happened?"

"Thistleclaw…forgot…that he was assigned to a border patrol on the ShadowClan border. There was an invasion, and one of the ShadowClan warriors snuck up behind her and…"

Whitepaw sighed. "She was a good grandmother. I'll miss her."

"Whitepaw!" Goldenkit squeaked. "You have to be the RiverClan leader!"

Goldenkit smiled when Whitepaw crouched down and nodded. "Feel my teeth, Reedstar!" she mewled, leaping on Whitepaw.

"Goldenkit, Reedstar died a half a moon ago. Crookedstar is the leader of RiverClan now," I reminded her.

"Yeah, Goldenkit!" Frostkit squealed. "Wait, who's the new deputy?"

"Oakheart," I meowed.

Sparrowkit padded out of the nursery. "Isn't Oakheart one of the greatest warriors in the forest?" he asked.

"One of the best!"

I spun around. Bluefur was behind me. "He is better than all of ShadowClan lumped together!" Her eyes flashed with something I couldn't identify.

"If you say so…" Sparrowkit mewed. He started play-fighting with his sisters. "You'll never win Sunningrocks, Crookedstar!" he mewled to Goldenkit.

"No! Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan!" Goldenkit retorted. "Come on, Frost…tail! You are my deputy!"

"Yes! We will fight for Sunningrocks…um…"

"I'll be Harestar, the WindClan leader." Sparrowkit sprang at his sisters again.

I purred in amusement and padded after Whitepaw to the fresh-kill pile. I selected a fat, juicy rabbit and Whitepaw grabbed two small shrews. We raced to the apprentices' den and tucked in to our food. After that I fell asleep and had a dream.

_Tigerpaw's Dream_

I jumped up, scrabbling in a nest of leaves. Whitepaw was sleeping beside me, and when I prodded him, he didn't move. I gasped when I saw starry warriors coming down to earth around me.

One of them, a white tom with gray patches, stepped up to me. "Hello, young Tigerpaw," he meowed pleasantly. "I am Dusktail of RiverClan."

"I've heard of you!" I exclaimed. "You were killed in a battle over Sunningrocks by Thistleclaw!"

Dusktail's expression grew dark. "Yes, and I have seen what he has done to you."

I hung my head. "I don't know why he hates me. He says I killed my mother." I looked up. "Is she here?"

Another StarClan cat padded up to Dusktail and whispered something in his ear. Dusktail hesitated and told me, "She does not—"

"Dusktail!" A tortoiseshell she-cat spoke sharply. "Is it your wish to ruin everything, for this young apprentice and—her as well?"

"Oh, loosen up, Sageflower!" snapped a small gray-and-white she-cat not unlike Dusktail himself. "If he wants to tell him, he can tell him. It won't _ruin_ anything. I'm Leapkit, by the way," meowed the kit with a glance at me. "I'm Dusktail's sister."

I was speechless, and dipped his head at the warriors around him. "W—w—why have you c—c—come too m—me?" I stammered.

"We just wanted to tell you—" Dusktail began, but he was cut off by a magnificent black she-cat stalking across a clearing.

"You would tell him, Dusktail, and risk endangering the Clans forever?" the she-cat growled.

Dusktail bowed his head. "Nightwhisker, I just wanted to warn—"

"Want!" snarled Nightwhisker. "My daughter wanted life, and a family, and what has become of her now?!"

The cats around me murmured words of respect.

Nightwhisker looked me. I flinched at her green gaze.

"Young Tigerpaw," she meowed, her voice echoing around me. "All we can tell you is that if you continue along the path your paws are set on, you will do the forest great harm."

"Harm? Wait!" I raced after her. She and the other StarClan cats were stepping up into the sky.

_End of the Dream_

I jerked awake. What did Nightwhisker mean by, "the path your paws are set on"? I wished she had told me more.

A sudden noise outside made me jump. "Hello?" I mewed sleepily.

I winced when Thistleclaw prowled into the den. His eyes were glazed with madness and he raked thorn-sharp claws down my face. I felt blood trickle down between my claws. "Stop it!" I yowled.

He didn't stop. He seemed crazy, as if his mind had left him. Then he calmed down and pinned me to the ground. I squirmed.

"I will kill you someday, crowfood. I will let your murderous blood flow over my paws. You will pay for what you have done to my Shadestorm." He left.

I lay, blood-covered, on the dirt. My mind started racing.

I hated my father. I had done nothing, _nothing_, to deserve this kind of treatment.

As I thought about my hatred, I knew I would have to show no weakness toward my father. Weakness was for kits.

I sank in my hatred, and I felt ice seep through my veins. It ebbed and flowed—

And I welcomed it.

***

**Aww! Now Tigerpaw is becoming the Tigerstar we all know and love! O.o**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Reviewing Instructions:**

**1. Look at button.**

**2. Press button.**

**3. Write review.**

**Please review! Please please please. **

**Thanks!**


	6. Growing Hate

**Hi there! Here's Chapter 6! Review when you're done!**

**By the way, I'm really mad because my contact fell in the sink and went bye-bye, so now I can't see in one eye, and all the places where I can get new contacts are CLOSED! WAHH!**

**Oh, WarriorsDude, I like having the allegiances up. Sorry.**

**Thanks to all the people who reviewed!**

**Thistleclaw voodoo dolls and pins for everyone who hates him!**

**Whitepaw plushies for everyone who reviews!**

*** **

ThunderClan

Leader---**Sunstar—a ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy---**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom (apprentice, Whitepaw)**

Medicine Cat---**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors---

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs (apprentice, Tigerpaw)**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Snowfur—a white she-cat with blue eyes**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail **

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle like a lion's mane**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail **

Queens---

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

Apprentices---

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

**Whitepaw—a white tom with amber eyes**

**Tigerpaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes**

Elders---

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

*****

**Shadestorm's POV**

I watched as Tigerpaw was made into an apprentice, and then given Thistleclaw as his mentor. I saw his fear as Thistleclaw beat him. I saw his hatred grow.

I saw the images I had seen in the pool becoming true.

I remembered that I could only walk the forest as a ghost until my son died, or the hatred inside him had blocked me out completely.

He didn't seem to be getting quite that full of hate. All his hate was directed at Thistleclaw.

His warrior skills were better than many of the senior warriors. I was proud of that.

But I was not proud of the hate that grew in my son's heart.

How could Thistleclaw do this?

*

_Two Moons Later_

*

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Dusktail gazed into the pool, Leapkit beside him. He was watching as Tigerpaw slept. The young apprentice kept muttering in his sleep, "Hate…"

"Well, Dusktail, it is done." Nightwhisker prowled into the clearing. "His paws are set on the Path, and he shall not leave it."

Sageflower padded beside her. "Perhaps, Nightwhisker, he may—"

"May what?" Nightwhisker spat. "I can see no good thing to this. My daughter is giving all her strength and skills to this young apprentice, and thus will make him the strongest cat in the Clans. He will have power over every cat, and the future of the Clans will be thrown into turmoil."

"Maybe so," Sageflower persisted, "but I have seen a ray of hope."

Another cat, a white tom with a black circle around his eye, meowed, "Really, Sageflower? And what has Star chosen to reveal to a certain former WindClan medicine cat?" His tone was light, but his eyes were serious. "Usually Star does not tell us much."

Sageflower frowned. "It is a strange thing, with a ring of a prophecy. 'Fire will save the Clans'."

"Fire? Is that not feared by all cats?" the white tom asked.

Sageflower sighed. "Yes, Dark-eye, it is. But I was given a vision." She stirred up the pool, and an image of a flame-colored tom rose to the surface.

"What does it mean?" Leapkit gasped.

Sageflower shook her head. "I don't know. Star told me not to tell the Clans yet, though, until the threat of Tigerpaw has become true."

"Let us hope that you have to wait a long time to tell them, then," Nightwhisker meowed.

Dusktail said nothing. He waited at the edge of the pool, watching the cats bicker.

*

**Tigerpaw's POV**

I yawned and padded out the apprentices' den. Whitepaw and Runningpaw were still sleeping.

I sighed. Ever since that first day as an apprentice, Thistleclaw had given me terrible tasks to do, and he found fault with the littlest things and gave me punishments for them. Two sunrises ago, he had told me to hunt for the elders and catch ten mice. I only caught seven and was told to take care of the elders for the rest of the day.

Whitepaw began to stir, and his jaws opened in an enormous yawn. "Wha…what're we doing today, Tigerpaw?" he asked sleepily.

"I know I have to go hunting with Thistleclaw," I meowed.

"Okay." Whitepaw yawned again. "I'm going to get some more sleep." He lay down again and began to snore.

I rolled my eyes and reluctantly padded over to Thistleclaw, who was waiting at the camp entrance. As I reached him, he snarled. "Come on! I've been waiting!"

"Sorry, Thistleclaw," I mewed. "You should've woken me up."

He snorted. "Come on." He raced out of camp, me following behind. We stopped near the ShadowClan border, which Sunstar had warned us to stay away from since ShadowClan was becoming aggressive.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked sullenly, tearing at the ground with my claws, imagining it to be Thistleclaw's fur.

"Sunstar thinks you're ready for a hunting assessment," Thistleclaw growled. "Personally, I think he's mousebrained to even think that you could catch so much as a leaf, but…"

I hissed. "I'll show you!"

"Oh, no, you won't," Thistleclaw drawled. "Where I'm going to assess you is a place I think would be better for me to avoid."

"Where?"

"ShadowClan territory," Thistleclaw meowed.

I looked up, shocked. "S—_Shadow_Clan? But—we're not supposed to trespass on other Clans' territories! And ShadowClan is becoming worse every moon!"

"How else am I going to see how _brave_ and _strong_," Thistleclaw spat out those two words, "my son is getting if he's in his own territory, where he'll be calm and confident?"

"B—but—I—can't!" I stammered.

"Go!" Thistleclaw swiped his claws down my face. As I ran across the border, the hatred in my veins flowed.

I climbed up the first tree I could find, my ears alert for any signs of ShadowClan warriors. I hated Thistleclaw for making me do this. I'd never make _my_ apprentice go into enemy territory, especially not ShadowClan's. **(But he DID! Heehee!)**

From my tree, I could see the gray fur of Thistleclaw padding through the bushes and going back to camp. I hissed. He didn't even care if a ShadowClan patrol caught me here right now! He'd probably let them tear me apart.

Then it hit me. Thistleclaw was hoping I would get killed over here! Why else would he do this?

_To make you suffer_, a small voice in the back of my head told me.

"But then," I said to it, "why didn't he just use claws and shred my fur?"

_He's probably hoping that you'll come racing back home without any prey and then he'll have an excuse to punish you._

I sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time today.

Then I narrowed my eyes. I would show Thistleclaw. I would bring back loads of prey, and everyone would see me as a great hunter! I would be respected, and one day I could shame Thistleclaw by telling every cat in the Clans what he had done! Every cat would hate him and I would be so respected, I could become leader! Yes, I would be Tigerstar, leader of ThunderClan, and I would make sure no cat was treated like I'm being treated now.

But first I had to be the best warrior in ThunderClan. And an apprentice doesn't become a warrior unless he's a great hunter and brings back enough prey on his first hunting assessment.

I leaped down from the tree and warily sniffed for prey. I smelled mouse and I could see one, too. I dropped into the hunter's crouch and pounced. I took the creature's life immediately, and buried it to come back for later.

Then my stupidity hit me like a rock. Surely any warrior would smell _me_! I found some fox dung and rolled in it. Good. Now my scent was disguised.

I caught two shrews, and a crow that was pecking at the ground. As I was putting them with the mouse, I heard voices.

"Raggedstar, I smell something."

"All I smell is fox dung."

"No!" The other voice sounded angry. "Under that I smell ThunderClan."

I heard sniffing. "Yes, but that scent is barely detectable under that fox dung smell. Plus, we're right by the border, Foxheart. You're _bound_ to smell ThunderClan here."

I raced up a tree, my two shrews and crow still grasped in my jaws. I saw three cats come into view. One I recognized at Raggedstar, the ShadowClan leader, with his deputy, Foxheart. The other I didn't know, but his size made me guess that he was an apprentice. His tail had a bend in it.

The apprentice's ears flattened. "I bet there's an intruder on our territory!"

Raggedstar flicked the apprentice with his tail. "Easy, Brokenpaw. I bet some stupid cat just crossed the border by mistake."

Brokenpaw hissed.

"But shouldn't we check it out?" Foxheart asked furiously.

"Look! Over there!" Brokenpaw padded to the place I'd buried my mouse and uncovered it. "That ThunderClan crowfood's been hunting on our territory!"

Foxheart sniffed it. "It reeks of ThunderClan," she reported.

"Well, let's go get Nightpelt," Raggedstar told her. "He's the best tracker in the Clan. He'll be able to find this intruder." He rushed away.

Foxheart looked at Brokenpaw. "Come on," she meowed. "We'd better follow him." She followed her leader, Brokenpaw behind her.

I breathed a sigh of relief and carefully climbed down the tree, crow and shrews bumping against my legs. I got my mouse and headed for the border faster than I'd ever gone before. Once back inside ThunderClan territory, I set down my prey. I supposed I had enough, but as I saw a plump rabbit hopping several fox-lengths away, I knew I needed more to become the best hunter in ThunderClan. I dropped into the hunter's crouch again and set my paws lightly down on the ground, remembering something Bluefur had told me. "A mouse will feel your pawsteps before he smells you, and a rabbit will hear you."

The rabbit's ears twitched, and I froze. The rabbit stood still for a minute, nose sniffing, and then it bounded away. I gave chase after it. The stupid creature tripped over its enormously large feet and I pounced, killing it.

I proudly trotted back to camp with my catches—four of which had come from ShadowClan—in my jaws. As I entered the camp and dropped my prey on the fresh-kill pile, Sunstar and Tawnyspots—the Clan leader and deputy—padded up to me. My fur prickled uncomfortably—had some cat seen me in ShadowClan territory?

"Young Tigerpaw," Sunstar meowed. I looked up into his green eyes and relaxed. They didn't seem angry.

"One of our warriors saw you hunting that rabbit over there," he waved his tail at the rabbit lying on the fresh-kill pile, "and told me of your excellent hunting skills. I think you should have first pick of the prey."

I stood taller. Sunstar himself had complimented my hunting!

The two cats left, and I looked across the clearing and saw Bluefur, amusement glittering in her eyes. I knew she was the cat who had seen me hunting the rabbit. I dipped my head to her in thanks.

"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw!" A white shape barreled into my side, and pinned me down.

"Whitepaw!" I spat. "Frighten all the prey in the forest, will you?" I threw him off me.

He didn't seem angry. "Tawnyspots showed me how to fight badgers today!" he mewed proudly. "And he said that he's never seen a cat do better on his first try!"

"Great," I meowed. "While you're out fighting badgers, I'll be eating all your food."

Whitepaw looked at five new additions to the fresh-kill pile. "Wow! You caught that yourself?"

"Yup." I dragged my rabbit away and took a bite of it. "Sunstar said I could have first pick of the prey," I mewed with my mouth full. "He told me that some cat had seen my hunting and told him how good I was."

"How good you were?" Whitepaw mewed. "I think that cat has bees in his brain!" He purred good-naturedly.

"I think _you_ have bees in your brain!" I sprang at him and sat on his back.

"Mrrrowf!" Whitepaw squirmed under me. "Let me go!" He flipped over on his belly, therefore squashing me on the ground. "Hey!" I yowled.

Whitepaw let me up, and I gasped for breath. "What'd you do that for?!" I hissed. "You could've killed me!"

Whitepaw tipped his head to the side. "You know, ever since you were made an apprentice, you've been…"

"Been what?" I demanded, my fur bristling along my neck.

"We—ell…" Whitepaw was obviously searching for the right word. "…you just seem…distant somehow. More…reserved. It seems like you're a different cat."

I sank my claws into the earth. "Glad to know you're spying on me," I hissed, and I abandoned my rabbit to stalk away.

Whitepaw could go chase his own tail. My business was my business, and I didn't want any cat interfering in it. Someday I would show them.

I would show them all.

"Tigerpaw!" Patchpelt padded up to me. "Thistleclaw wants you to take care of the elders."

I nodded curtly, and raced over to the elders' den, which seemed empty after Crowflight had died a half a moon ago. Rosetail greeted me with a wave of her tail. "We need new bedding," she mewed, "and then we have some ticks."

"Yes!" Smallear rasped. "They're killing us!" One-eye meowed her agreement.

I sighed and pushed out the dirty moss. Why couldn't warriors take care of the elders? Or better yet, why couldn't the elders take care of themselves? I dumped the dirty bedding outside of camp and gathered up some new moss.

Rosetail was pleased when I returned with the new bedding. "Thank you, Tigerpaw. Now, I think there's a tick here on my shoulder. I've gotten all the others, but I can't reach this one."

I lashed my tail and parted her black-and-ginger fur and cracked the small black body with my teeth. "Right," I mewed. "Anyone else?"

"I've got a few behind my ear!" Smallear yowled.

I rolled my eyes and freed the gray tom of the ticks. "One-eye?"

"There's one on my leg, but I can reach it," she mewed.

"Now bring us something to eat!" Smallear ordered.

I curled my lip and padded to the fresh-kill pile and selected a thrush and a rabbit.

"Where are you going with that?" Stonepelt interrupted me.

I tried to talk through the food in my mouth. "Elders," I grunted.

"Well, you can take that to them, then you're coming to the Gathering." Stonepelt smiled at me.

I felt my heart leap. My very first Gathering!

I gave the food to the elders and raced to the Highrock, where Sunstar was making an announcement. I saw that many cats seemed to have no clue what was going on, while Speckletail and Redtail looked grim.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Sunstar yowled. "One of our warriors has been killed by a Twoleg monster!"

*

**Ooh! Cliffie! Who is the cat that has been killed? (I bet if you think about it, you'll find out who it is. Ooh! Send in the answer in a review, and I'll make you into a character in the story! You can be a ShadowClan apprentice…a WindClan medicine cat…a RiverClan elder…a loner…a rogue…a unicorn…Let me know!)**

**Please review!**

The 45th reviewer gets a special prize!


	7. Dappled Love

**Hi! Okay, so last chapter I asked you who you thought was the cat that died. The answer is…Snowfur! Many of you picked Thistleclaw. Why is that? I actually told you in this fic—in Chapter 2, I think—how he dies. **

**Thanks for sending in your cats. Some I really liked. I also needed them to fill in some empty spaces. **

**Here are the winners and the cats they sent.**

brackenfurlover **sent in **Dapplepaw.

Camryn **sent in **Fishwater.

Giggleluvsfang **sent in **Cloverpaw.

Snowfur **sent in **Wildpaw.

Phantomflower **sent in **Flowerpaw.

Caleb **sent in **Spiritkit.

**Thanks, guys! And sorry if you guessed wrong! Don't worry, I'll have more contests like this.**

**Oh, **Flametail**, you have to have an account to post a story. **

**Enjoy! **

*

ThunderClan

Leader---**Sunstar—a ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy---**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom (apprentice, Whitepaw)**

Medicine Cat---**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors---

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs (apprentice, Tigerpaw)**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle like a lion's mane**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail**

Queens---

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

Apprentices---

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

**Whitepaw—a white tom with amber eyes**

**Tigerpaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes**

Elders---

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

*****

ShadowClan

Leader---**Raggedstar—a large dark brown tabby tom with ragged fur and a ripped ear**

Deputy---**Foxheart—a red tabby she-cat**

Medicine Cat---**Yellowfang—a gray tabby she-cat with orange eyes and a broad, flattened face **

Warriors---

**Nightpelt—a black tom **

**Cinderfur—a thin gray tom **

**Ashfur—gray tom **

**Brokentail—long-haired dark brown tabby tom with a bend in his tail**

**Brightflower—a black and white she-cat**

Apprentices---

**Runningpaw—a small gray and white tom; in training to be the medicine cat**

**Blackpaw—a white tom with huge jet-black paws**

**Dapplepaw—a tortoiseshell she-cat with one black paw and one black ear**

**Wildpaw—a golden tabby she-cat with fur that sticks out in all directions**

*****

WindClan

Leader---**Harestar—a light ginger tom with a brown-tipped tail**

Deputy---**Talltail—a black and white tom with a very long tail**

Medicine Cat---**Mintleaf—a white she-cat with one gray paw **

Warriors---

**Tornear—a gray tabby tom**

**Morningflower—a tortoiseshell she-cat**

Apprentices---

**Mudpaw—a mottled dark brown tom**

**Barkpaw—a short-tailed brown tom; in training to be the medicine cat**

*****

RiverClan

Leader---**Crookedstar—a huge light-colored tabby tom with a twisted jaw**

Deputy---**Oakheart—a reddish-brown tabby tom**

Medicine Cat---**Fishwater—a young silvery-brown tom**

Warriors---

**Graypool—a light gray she-cat with pale yellow eyes**

Apprentices---

**Mudpaw—a long-haired light brown tom; in training to be the medicine cat**

**Leopardpaw—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes**

Kits---

**Spiritkit—a white tom with black stripes and light blue eyes**

*******

**Tigerpaw's POV**

"A cat has just been killed!" Sunstar called from the Highrock.

Everyone gasped in shock. "Who?" Rosetail called out.

Redtail stepped forward, bristling from head to paw. "She was chasing a ShadowClan intruder out of our territory. She wasn't paying attention—and—she ran—across the Thunderpath…" He shivered. "And a monster hit her…"

"I saw it too," Speckletail yowled. "I was hunting and heard her running past me, and then the monster came." She bowed her head in sorrow.

Heads turned as Stonepelt came into the camp bearing Snowfur's blood-stained body.

"No!" Bluefur wailed in grief. "First Moonflower, and now my sister! Is StarClan determined to take everything away from me?"

Dappletail rushed up to the grieving queen. "Careful, Bluefur. You don't want to do anything that might cause you to miscarry, even though you are barely pregnant."

Bluefur let Dappletail guide her to Featherwhisker's den for some thyme.

"We must not let this tragedy shake us," Sunstar's commanding voice rang. "We will go to the Gathering as usual. I need Featherwhisker, Thistleclaw, Redtail, Lionheart, Stonepelt, Halftail, Speckletail, Tigerpaw, and Whitepaw. Tawnyspots, you will take a patrol to make sure our territory is free of ShadowClan."

"Please, Sunstar," Whitepaw piped up. His eyes were brimming with grief. "May I stay behind this time?"

Sunstar's gaze softened as he looked at the white apprentice. "Of course. Tigerpaw, you may stay too."

"If it is all right, Sunstar, I wish to go." My voice was nervous-sounding, and cats turned to stare at me.

I knew I should be grieving that my foster mother was dead, but I really didn't feel any strong feelings. I'd been pushing those bothersome emotions to the back of my heart, securing them so that they would never emerge and show weakness. Anyway, every cat would die eventually—so why should Snowfur not die now?

Sunstar's eyes narrowed, and I knew he was displeased. "Very well." With a sweep of his magnificent tail, he led us out of the camp. I chanced one last glance at Whitepaw. He was huddled by his mother's limp body. I turned my gaze back to my leader.

When we arrived at the Gathering, I held my head and tail high. I was the only ThunderClan apprentice here, so I was determined to make myself look good.

Halftail bent down and whispered in my ear. "Be careful of the other warriors from different Clans. They might take advantage of your youth to get you to reveal some of ThunderClan's secrets."

I nodded, and the brown warriors padded away to talk with some RiverClan warriors.

"Hi!" A chirpy voice made me jump. I turned around a faced a she-cat who smelled of WindClan. She had copper-colored fur and one white front paw.

"Who are you?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm Cloverpaw," she mewed. "I'd never seen you before so I figured this must be your first Gathering. Come on, I'll introduce you to some of my friends." She padded over to the edge of Fourtrees, and with a scowl, I followed her.

She stopped beside a group of about four cats. She waved her tail at a silvery-brown tom. "This is Fishwater, RiverClan's medicine cat."

Fishwater dipped his head to me, his eyes showing contempt.

"I met Fishwater at the last Gathering," Cloverpaw meowed. "He seems prickly at first, but he's actually great fun." She hopped around another RiverClan cat, a black she-cat with white splashes on her pelt. "This is Flowerpaw."

Flowerpaw mewed a greeting, blinking blue eyes at me.

Cloverpaw flicked her tail at two ShadowClan she-cats. One had long golden tabby fur that stuck out in all directions, and the other was a tortoiseshell with one black paw and a black ear. She had striking golden eyes that made my head swim.

"This is Wildpaw," Cloverpaw pointed at the she-cat with the unkempt fur, "and this is Dapplepaw." She nodded at the beautiful tortoiseshell.

"Hello," Dapplepaw mewed. She gazed at me. "Who are you?" Her voice sounded rich, flowing, and sweet.

Wildpaw turned her nose up at me. "Dapplepaw," she sniffed coldly. "This is a _ThunderClan _cat. Why do you even bother talking to such cats?"

Fishwater seemed as if he agreed with Wildpaw. Flowerpaw nervously looked at her paws.

"It does not matter where we come from tonight," Dapplepaw mewed calmly. "It is StarClan's will for us to make friends while the moon is full and our hearts are welcoming."

I scuffled my paws on the ground. "I'm Tigerpaw," I mumbled.

Dapplepaw purred. "Are you named after TigerClan?"

"I—I don't know," I admitted. "My mother died giving birth to me."

"Oh, that's terrible! I lost my father when I was a kit. He was killed in a battle with WindClan." Dapplepaw's eyes were filled with sympathy.

I didn't want her pity. "I never knew her anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Wildpaw huffed. "While you're betraying your Clan, I'm going to listen to the warriors." She stalked away with the others.

"Don't mind Wildpaw," Dapplepaw meowed when we were alone. "She's just really loyal to ShadowClan."

"Yeah." Why couldn't I say anything good to this cat? My tongue seemed to get tied up just by looking at her.

Dapplepaw glanced over at the four oaks. "I think the Gathering's about to start."

Indeed, as we sat in the crowd of cats, Crookedstar—the new RiverClan leader—stepped forward on the Great Rock. "Since I became leader, RiverClan has not had many hardships. The river is running with less fish than usual at this time of leaf-bare, but we are still eating well. Fishwater has taken an apprentice, Mudpaw."

A light brown tom nearby raised his head proudly.

"That is all."

Raggedstar—leader of ShadowClan—spoke next. "ShadowClan is also suffering the usual prey loss that leaf-bare brings, but we are managing. We have made two new apprentices as well, Dapplepaw and Wildpaw."

Dapplepaw let the cats look at her then gaze back at the leaders.

Raggedstar continued. "Yellowfang has also taken an apprentice, Runningpaw. We have made a new warrior too. Brokentail sits his vigil tonight."

I felt a shiver of uncertainty. One more enemy warrior to worry about. I noticed Dapplepaw was scowling.

"Do you not like Brokentail?" I asked her.

"He's a piece of rude fox dung," she hissed back.

Raggedstar raised his voice. "We have recently scented a ThunderClan warrior in our territory. What have you say of this, Sunstar?"

I froze. Raggedstar was talking about _me_!

Sunstar's expression was one of pure surprise. "I can assure you that I have not sent any warriors into your territory, Raggedstar. Perhaps some cat crossed the border by mistake."

"It was no mistake!" Raggedstar spat. "The scent was well inside the border, and we found buried prey reeking of ThunderClan!"

I glanced at Dawnpaw. She shrugged. "It's just one mouse they took. Nothing big, so I don't see what everyone's worrying about," she told me.

Sunstar spoke calmly. "Could it be that the cat who found the scent might be mistaken?"

"Brokentail's nose is fine, thank you very much. Are you suggesting that my son might have been lying?" Raggedstar bristled.

"I mean to imply no such thing," Sunstar growled. "You should be explaining why one of _your_ warriors were in _our_ territory. Snowfur chased one and was killed by a monster on the Thunderpath!" Sunstar hissed the last part.

"If this is true, I had no knowledge of it. How do I know you're not just trying to accuse me to cover up your crimes?" Raggedstar was glaring at the ThunderClan cats. I glared back.

"One of your warriors is dead?" Dapplepaw gasped.

"Yes," I mewed. "My foster mother."

"Oh, Tigerpaw, I'm so sorry!" Dapplepaw laid her tail on my shoulder.

I shrugged. "It's fine."

Harestar—leader of WindClan—was watching the quarreling leaders with faint interest. "WindClan has nothing to report," he meowed, "other than the fact that we have made a new warrior, Morningflower, and a new apprentice, Cloverpaw."

Sunstar cleared his throat. "ThunderClan—" He was interrupted by Raggedstar. "You've already had your turn," the ragged tom hissed.

"I will speak!" Sunstar raised his hackles and unsheathed his claws.

"Stop!" a voice yowled. I turned my head to see Featherwhisker staring in horror at the moon. Clouds were drifting across it. "StarClan is angry. The Gathering must end."

Panicked caterwauls echoed around Fourtrees, and Raggedstar gathered his warriors, preparing to leave. The other leaders did the same.

"Tigerpaw!" Dapplepaw yowled, almost being swept away by her Clanmates. "Will you meet me here one-quarter moon from now?" Her eyes were filled with hopefulness.

A strange feeling took control of my heart. "Sure," I meowed.

Dapplepaw started to tell me something, but she was dragged away by Wildpaw.

I then noticed Thistleclaw sitting at the edge of the clearing with his gaze fixed on Dapplepaw. There was something in his eyes that I didn't like to see.

"Come on, Tigerpaw, you're being left behind," Speckletail meowed. She nudged my to my paws—when had I collapsed?—and we headed for camp with the other ThunderClan warriors.

Upon arriving, Whitepaw ran to me. "Why didn't you stay?" he asked, hurt in his voice. "Snowfur was like your mother too. It's like you didn't even care that she died."

"Well, I really wanted to go to the Gathering!" I defended myself angrily.

Whitepaw sighed and pushed his nose into his mother's lifeless body. "Take her with honor, StarClan," he murmured.

I gave in and joined the vigil for my dead foster mother. Her fur was limp and her body seemed small and dark in the night. Though the moon was shining, it didn't make any difference.

Bluefur came over and sat beside me. I could feel her gaze on me, and wariness flooded from her pelt. It seemed that she was rethinking her ideas about me.

I didn't care. She was only one warrior, and with hard work, I would soon change her views. She would think of me as the strongest cat in the Clans.

I would make every cat in the Clans respect me. Especially…Dapplepaw.

*

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Dusktail padded restlessly around the pool. "A cat is coming to join us," he meowed. "Tigerpaw's foster mother, Snowfur, in fact."

"My daughter!" A white she-cat wailed.

"Hush, Moonflower," Nightwhisker snapped. "At least your daughter will be safe here in StarClan. My daughter is not."

Moonflower blinked sympathetically. Every cat in StarClan knew now of the threat of Tigerpaw, and what Shadestorm had done to try and protect him.

"Look!" Leapkit gasped.

A ball of light appeared, and a cat stumbled out of it—a white she-cat with blue eyes.

Moonflower stepped in front of the new arrival. "Welcome, daughter. I wish I did not have to welcome you so soon."

Snowfur yowled. "What happened? Mother? Am I dead?" She glanced behind herself, and saw the body of a limp white cat.

"Yes, daughter. A monster hit you." Moonflower waved her tail at the pool, where it showed an image of Snowfur chasing a cat across the Thunderpath and getting hit by a monster.

Snowfur wailed. "Now I'll never see Whitepaw or Tigerpaw become warriors!"

All the cats—besides Snowfur—exchanged dark looks.

"It is time for your ceremony," Moonflower meowed. "Snowfur, you have been an intelligent and fiercely brave warrior of ThunderClan, and have given up your life in the service of your Clanmates. Is it your wish to enter StarClan, and therefore protect all the Clans for the rest of eternity?"

"I—I do," Snowfur sighed. Why did she have to die now?

"Then we welcome you as a full member of StarClan." The StarClan cats began cheering, "Snowfur! Snowfur!" All the voices sounded like all the cats Snowfur had ever known, but then they also seemed as one.

"I must show you something," Moonflower told her daughter urgently. She led her over to the pool, where the images that depicted Tigerpaw were now appearing. Snowfur stared in horror as the life of her foster kit was played right before her eyes. Tigerpaw becoming a warrior…betraying the Clan…

"How?" she whispered.

"Thistleclaw," Dusktail mewed grimly.

"We cannot tell the Clans yet of what Tigerpaw will become. And who knows?" Moonflower meowed in a falsely cheery voice. "He might change."

"I doubt it," Nightwhisker hissed. "If he continues on this path, he will do each and every one of those things."

Snowfur was silent.

*

**There you go! I know, it's a bit short…**Hey, guess what will happen between Tigerpaw and Dapplepaw in a review. If anyone guesses right, I will PM you and ask you what you want your prize to be—okay? 

**Hey, **Scarlett-Husky**, since you were the 45****th**** reviewer, what do you want? Your own character? A virtual plushie? **

**People, I'm trying to hit seventy reviews on this. Could you help me out? 70****th**** reviewer gets a special prize!**

**By the way, I might (I'm not saying I will) block anonymous reviews because an anonymous someone named **Silverpelt-Hawksky **keeps putting rude things on here over and over and I keep having to delete them. I got five reviews from that person that said "**This sucks!**" So, if I keep getting those, I'm going to block anonymous reviews. I don't want to, because I know there are people without accounts who like to give good review (I used to be one of them) and I hate to take away that privilege. **

**So review! (Nicely)**

**Ciao!**

**~LenzieKat~**

**(P.S. I won't update again unless I get seventy reviews. So either review or never read this again! MUAHAHA!) **


	8. See the Truth

**Hey, I know this is a late update, but my effing computer CRASHED and this chapter got DELETED!!! It made me so mad!!!**

**But, I DID get more reviews than I thought. BTW, **Swiftpaw of WindClan **was the 70****th**** reviewer!!! What do you want your prize to be, Swiftpaw? **

Giggleluvsfang**, sorry about forgetting Cloverpaw in the allegiances!!! I feel so bad about that!!! (But I really like that character. I'm keeping her, if that's ok)**

Snowfur**, putting Wildpaw in the story was my pleasure. (I really like her character too!!!)**

xBlaze of Furyx**, remember? Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt's mother was Goldenflower.**

saphirestar**, I could post a story of yours, if you could send it to me somehow. Do you have an email account? Let me know.**

**And some of you guys *did* (gasp) guess what will happen to Tigerpaw and Dapplepaw. I got some PMs, some reviews…**

*****

**Dapplepaw plushies for everyone! (And Wildpaw and Cloverpaw plushies for extra! YAY!)**

*****

ThunderClan

Leader—**Sunstar—a ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes—2 lives left**

Deputy—**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom (apprentice, Whitepaw)**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors (In order of seniority)—

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat **(pregnant with Halftail's kits)

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs (apprentice, Tigerpaw)**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle like a lion's mane**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail**

Queens—

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

**Petalfur—a gray tabby she-cat with white splashes on her pelt (mother of Darkkit, Willowkit, and Brindlekit)**

Apprentices—

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

**Whitepaw—a white tom with amber eyes**

**Tigerpaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes**

Elders—

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

*****

"Tigerpaw!" Thistleclaw pushed me with his paw, and I fell over.

We were training in the training hollow. Honestly, I was amazed that Thistleclaw was even bothering to teach me anything.

"Stop it!" I hissed. "I don't deserve to be bullied by a piece of fox dung like you!" I lunged at the gray warrior, throwing him off balance and causing him to lay sprawled in the dust. I got off him and began to pad away.

"Never assume your opponent is beaten until he is dead!" Thistleclaw snarled, and he barreled into my stomach, and I lay winded on the ground. He raked one thorn-sharp claw down my face, and I felt warm, sticky blood flow over my nose and mouth, clogging my nostrils and seeping through my tongue. I spat at my mentor.

"Maybe I should kill you! Then I'll know you're beaten!" I sprang at Thistleclaw, and sank my teeth into his neck. I felt the salty, metallic taste of his blood in my mouth, and the thick fur and hot flesh. I bit down harder.

"Get off me!" Thistleclaw squirmed under me. He was helpless, for he knew that I could kill him right now if I wanted to.

And I _did_ want to. But I knew that if I came back to camp with a dead Thistleclaw, it would cause questions.

I might even be driven out of the Clan, and then I would never get to meet Dapplepaw tonight.

The memory of her words came back to me. _"Will you meet me at Fourtrees, one-quarter moon from now?" _My heart lightened at the thought of seeing her again. I couldn't wait until moonhigh, when I would go to the Great Rock and find her, eyes sparkling, waiting for me.

"TIGERPAW!" Thistleclaw kept drawing in great gasps of breath. "GET—OFF—ME!"

I released him and was pleased to see that his neck was bleeding heavily, and the flesh was torn and swollen. I could also see distinctive teeth marks—my teeth marks.

Thistleclaw glared at me, and I saw a trace of fear in his eyes. Good. Maybe now he would leave me alone.

And I could tell that he _knew_ I could kill him, and that I almost had.

"I—I'm going to see Featherwhisker. You go bring the queens and elders some prey." He bounded off through the undergrowth. I headed for camp in a different direction.

OoOoOoO

When I padded through the ravine, I saw Featherwhisker applying cobwebs and horsetail to Thistleclaw's neck wound. I overheard him say, "That fox must have had pretty sharp claws to give you this cut. Here, eat these poppy seeds. They'll help reduce the pain a bit."

I snorted and padded over to the fresh-kill pile, where I picked out a vole and a mouse. When I carried them into the nursery, Dappletail mewed in delight. "That's a big vole! We haven't seen prey like that in a while."

"It's been a hard leaf-bare," Petalfur agreed. "Every Clan has been finding it hard to feed themselves, even RiverClan."

"StarClan save us from starvation," Dappletail meowed. "Tigerpaw, would you mind giving the vole to my kits?"

I nodded, unable to speak because of the prey in my mouth. I set down the two mice and padded over to Dappletail's three kits.

"Ooh! Fresh-kill!" Sparrowkit squeaked. He and his sisters began tearing huge bites out of the vole, and I padded over to the elders' den with some more fresh-kill.

"That better be for us!" Crowflight yowled. He tore into the scrawny rabbit I had set down, and the other elders joined in.

"Thank you, youngster," One-eye purred.

"It could have had more flesh on it!" Smallear grunted. "It's too old and stringy!"

I hissed and dug my claws into the ground. "Be grateful you _have _something to eat! You could be starving and ready to die!"

"Well, for love of StarClan…" Rosetail snapped. "Young Tigerpaw, you should be more respectful of Smallear! Treat your elders with honor!"

"_Sorry_…" I hissed.

"You may go!" Rosetail told me.

Not needing a second command, I trudged out of the den, lashing my tail in anger.

"Tigerpaw!" Whitepaw bounced up to me. "Have you fed the elders?"

I nodded, glaring at a passing butterfly.

"Great!" he meowed, obviously excited. "Do you want to go hunting?"

I felt a pang of guilt as I saw the glint of loneliness that still lingered in his eyes. He had normally gone hunting with Tawnyspots or Snowfur, and now that Tawnyspots was getting older, Whitepaw was alone most of the time. And I was always busy from training and the extra duties Thistleclaw burdened me with.

"I—I—can't," I meowed. "I—um—Thistleclaw told me to go—check the—" I cast around wildly in my head. "—check the ShadowClan border for…more intruders. Yes." There. Now I would be able to go see Dapplepaw without any interference.

"I could come with you," Whitepaw suggested.

"Er…no, he said to go by myself."

"By yourself? Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"He thinks it'll be good training."

"Right." Whitepaw looked as if he seriously doubted what I was saying. "Well, then. I guess I'll go hunting alone." He padded away.

I rolled my eyes and started for the camp entrance.

"Where are you going, Tigerpaw?" Bluefur stepped in front of me.

"Oh, it's nothing, Bluefur," I meowed.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean every cat has to go easy on me for everything!" she hissed. I guessed that she was still grieved over Snowfur's death and angry that she wasn't allowed to go on patrols until her kits were born.

"S—sorry…"

The blue-gray warrior sighed. "Never mind, Tigerpaw, I am the one who should be sorry. Go—where were you going, again?"

"Uh—hunting," I improvised.

"Go, then," Bluefur meowed. "And mind you be careful. We can't have you getting hit by a monster too."

I nodded in thanks and raced away in the direction of Fourtrees, my paws stirring up leaves as they hit the ground. My heart thudded with excitement as I saw the four great oaks come into view. It beat even faster when I picked up Dapplepaw's sweet scent; mingling with the smell of wildflowers.

I dashed into the clearing and halted when I saw Dapplepaw chasing a moth. She clapped her paws in the air and the moth flew away.

"Mouse dung!" she exclaimed. Then she saw me and her face lit up. "Tigerpaw! I was wondering when you would come."

She looked beautiful, her soft tortoiseshell fur bathed in the moonlight. I purred. "Well, I'm here now."

Dapplepaw crouched down, her eyes glinting with amusement. She flashed out a paw and jabbed me in the side. "Can't catch me!"

"I bet I can!" I raced after her and leaped in the air.

"Mrrowf!" Just before I crashed onto her, Dapplepaw dashed to the side, letting me fall in a heap on the ground.

"_Sure_ you can catch me," she meowed coyly.

"That does it!" I jumped and pinned the tortoiseshell she-cat down. "Ha ha, now _I_ win!" I grinned.

"Let me up!" Dapplepaw squeaked from under my paws.

I got off her and paced around the clearing. "That's one of the battle skills I've been learning. Good, huh?"

"It's okay. Check this out!" Dapplepaw began making short leaps in the air, landing on her feet without making any noise.

"What's that for?"

"It's how ShadowClan catches frogs, you idiot!" She cuffed my ear playfully.

"Well, here's how I stalk a mouse." I crouched down and crept along the ground. Then a leaf fluttered to the ground and I pounced on it.

"That's a stalk? You stalk like a three-legged badger!" Her words could have been harsh, but they were said affectionately.

"I'll show you a three-legged badger!" I bowled Dapplepaw over and pinned her down again.

"Pretty good. For a ThunderClan cat." Her eyes had that amused look again.

"Don't tell me you've been listening to Wildpaw!" I laughed,

"Well, it's a good thing if she has!" Another voice startled both of us.

Dapplepaw and I both turned to see Wildpaw and _Whitepaw_ too, both bristling and glaring at us.

"Tigerpaw! You lied to me!" Whitepaw meowed.

"And Dapplepaw, _you_ lied to _me_." Wildpaw's neck fur was standing up. "You told me that you were going _hunting_!"

"Wildpaw—" Dapplepaw began.

"But you seemed kind of strange," Wildpaw continued, "so I followed you and met up with him." She flicked her tail at Whitepaw.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I have the same story as Wildpaw, except Tigerpaw told me he was checking out the ShadowClan border."

"Come on, guys," I meowed. "We weren't doing anything wrong. We're both at Fourtrees, so we're not trespassing on anyone's territory." Though I did feel a pang of fear. What would happen if Wildpaw and Whitepaw told on me and Dapplepaw?

Whitepaw gave me a long look, as if he knew what I was thinking. "I won't tell," he meowed softly. "You can trust me."

I nodded thanks.

"Well," Wildpaw hissed. "I have half a mind to tell Raggedstar about this!"

"Wildpaw, no!" Dapplepaw pleaded. "Just—just keep it a secret!"

"Maybe," Wildpaw growled. "Or maybe I'll tell everyone and you'll be shamed in front of the whole Clan." She dug her claws in the ground.

"Wildpaw, please!" Dapplepaw glanced at me.

Wildpaw's angry gaze softened a bit. "You two really like each other, don't you?"

Dapplepaw glanced at me again, as if waiting for my reply. I nodded at her. "Yes," I meowed. "I like Dapplepaw a lot." I reached out and brushed my muzzle against Dapplepaw's.

She returned the gesture, and my heart lightened.

"Well," Wildpaw continued. "I'm not happy about it, but I won't tell." She glared at me.

I dipped my head to the golden tabby apprentice. "Thank you, Wildpaw."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, mousebrain." She looked at Dapplepaw. "Come on, I bet the whole Clan has noticed your disappearance—and mine—by now." She raced away.

"I better go." Dapplepaw twined her tail with mine, then raced off after Wildpaw.

I watched her fade from sight.

"Come on, Tigerpaw," Whitepaw meowed. "And since we both told Bluefur we were going hunting, we better get some prey, or we'll be stuck cleaning out the elder's den for the next quarter moon." He flicked me with his tail and we padded back to camp.

**Thistleclaw's POV**

I watched as my apprentice twined tails with that ShadowClan she-cat.

_Traitor_.

He would pay for everything.

_Traitor_.

I would end him.

_Traitor_.

OoOoOoO

**So, please Review! Hey, I know I forgot to put Crowflight in the allegiances for a few chapters, but I brought him back to life! (Heavystep is his reincarnation. LOL)**

**Again, sorry for the late update!**

**I want 117 reviews before I update again. :) Please? Can u give meh dat manys? Pweases?**

Swiftpaw of WindClan**, PM me or review to let me know what you want your 70****th**** reviewer prize to be!**

**Ciao!**

**Meh out!**

**~LenzieKat~**


	9. Tiny Spark of Doubt

**Okay, I don't have 117 reviews yet, but I was bored, finished this chapter and decided to give you guys a treat and post it early.**

**But this time I want about 120 reviews before I update again! AND I MEAN IT! (Well, I think I do)**

**Disclaimer: Erin Hunter is 4 grown women. I am 1 skinny, puny teenager who likes reading and writing fanfiction.**

*****

ThunderClan

Leader—**Sunstar—a ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy—**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom (apprentice, Whitepaw)**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors—

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs (apprentice, Tigerpaw)**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (apprentice, Runningpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle like a lion's mane**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail**

Queens—

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat (mother of Frostkit, Goldenkit, and Sparrowkit)**

**Petalfur—a gray tabby she-cat with white splashes on her pelt (mother of Darkkit, Willowkit, and Brindlekit)**

Apprentices—

**Runningpaw—a swift tabby tom**

**Whitepaw—a white tom with amber eyes**

**Tigerpaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes**

Elders—

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches; **

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

*****

I stretched, unsheathing and sheathing my claws, my jaws parted in a huge yawn. Blinking sleep out of my eyes, I saw Whitepaw pad up to the apprentices' den with a vole in his mouth. He glanced at me, then sat beside Runningpaw. He obviously was still a bit angry about my meeting Dapplepaw.

"Tigerpaw!" A harsh voice behind me made me jump. It was Thistleclaw. He glared at me. "What are you doing lazing around camp like a soft kittypet when there's work to be done and prey to be caught?" He sneered and curled his lip as if smelling something bad. "I cannot believe I am your father."

It was the first time he had acknowledged that he was my father since when I was kit and he had taken me out into the forest for the first time.

"Well, don't believe it then!" I hissed. "Perhaps you should get a new apprentice, one that will actually _like_ you!"

"As if Sunstar would allow that, after I personally asked him to let me be your mentor!" Thistleclaw unsheathed his claws, something I had already done.

"Thistleclaw? Tigerpaw? Is something wrong?" Tawnyspots interrupted our argument.

"Oh, no, Tawnyspots," Thistleclaw answered smoothly. "Tigerpaw here just thinks he's going to sleep all day."

"Is that so?" Tawnyspots looked at me with a frown. "You can go on the noon patrol with Bluefur, then. You and your mentor."

I looked at the deputy in mild shock. "I thought Bluefur wasn't allowed to go out on patrols because she had to stay in the nursery."

"Well, she's been kind of restless, since the kits are going to be born later than Featherwhisker thought, so I'm letting her go on one last patrol."

Thistleclaw nodded at Tawnyspots. "Very well. I'll fetch Bluefur." He set off for the nursery, where Bluefur was chatting with Dappletail.

"Bluefur, Tawnyspots wants you to go on the noon patrol with us," Thistleclaw meowed.

Bluefur purred. "Finally!" She flicked Dappletail with her tail. "'Bye."

We padded off into the forest, and I shivered from the cold. This was a very cold leaf-bare, and snow was plentiful—except for today. It seemed to have melted for a while.

"We're patrolling Twolegplace?" I asked as I saw the Twoleg nests.

"The border of it," Thistleclaw answered. He kept twitching his tail and seemed angry about something. What had I done? I'd only been seeing Dapplepaw several times every quarter moon, ever since that one day half a moon ago. And only Whitepaw and Wildpaw knew about that.

"Bluefur," Thistleclaw drawled. "Could you go up ahead? I need to talk to Tigerpaw."

Bluefur's eyes glinted with suspicion before she raced off through the trees.

"So," my mentor sneered. "You think it's okay to almost kill me with a neck-bite, and back-talk me."

"Yes, actually." I unsheathed my claws. "You deserve it!"

Thistleclaw let out a howl of rage and leaped on me, a mad glint in his eye.

But I was ready. I dashed to the side and Thistleclaw plummeted to the ground. I then jumped on _him_, and sank my teeth into his tail.

He went limp for a minute, and when I relaxed my grip, he threw me upward and dashed up a tree. He had that trace of fear in his eyes again.

"Come back and fight!" I hissed.

Thistleclaw just glared at me.

"COWARD!" I yowled.

"DON'T—CALL—ME—_COWARD_!" he screeched. Thistleclaw seemed to fly down from the tree and land on my back.

"What is going on?" a voice demanded.

Bluefur appeared, fur bristling. "What is going on?" she repeated.

Thistleclaw was breathing heavily, a scratch over his back. He seemed to relax. "Nothing, Bluefur," he drawled smoothly. "Just a practice bout."

"Yes," I hissed. "Just a practice bout." My claws slid back in.

Bluefur gazed at us a minute longer. "Very well," she meowed. "Come on, then." She headed for the border, beckoning with her tail for us to follow.

I glared at Thistleclaw, hating him with all my heart.

We were quietly padding through the trees when Bluefur and Thistleclaw halted. I did too, and peered around them to see a small black kit cowering on the ground. His eyes were wide and he was staring at us.

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" Thistleclaw growled.

The kit whimpered, the bell on his collar making annoying sounds.

"Thistleclaw, he's only a kit," Bluefur meowed. "It's not as if he poses any threat."

"You're just saying that because he's a kittypet, Bluefur!" Thistleclaw spat.

"But…" Bluefur mumbled.

"I think we should leave it up to my apprentice. What do you think we should do, Tigerpaw?"

I looked at the black kit. The intruder. At last, someone to vent my feelings on.

I crouched down and hissed, "I think the kittypet should be taught a lesson."

"So be it, then," Thistleclaw meowed.

I sprang at the kit, ripping and tearing at him. In my mind he was Thistleclaw, finally being conquered. With a swipe of my claws, I tore off that annoying bell on his collar.

"Stop it, Tigerpaw!" Bluefur yowled. "A ThunderClan warrior does not need to kill to win a battle."

"I was just trying to protect our territory," I grumbled before letting the kit get up.

He ran away, and I remembered that first day in the forest.

_A dark tabby kit, four moons old, follows his father into the forest. The father turns on the kit, ripping his claws down the kit's flank._

I was that black kit once.

"_You are a killer!" the father screeches. "You killed your mother! She died giving _you_ life!"_

I had been the victim.

"_I—I didn't _mean_ to!" the kit wails. The father roars and attacks the kit again._

Yet I had just almost killed a kit.

"_Father, stop!"_

What have I done?

_The father pins the kit down and hisses in his ear. "I will kill you!"_

What have I become?

*

**Shadestorm's POV**

I watched in horror as my son—_my son_—attacked an innocent kit.

"Tigerpaw! Stop!" I wailed. Of course, no one heard me.

My son went back to the camp with Thistleclaw and Bluefur.

I approved of his seeing Dapplepaw. It filled his heart with love. And while he had love in his heart, I could still walk beside him in my ghostly form.

Thistleclaw replaced that with hate.

"StarClan, help my son!" I yowled to the sky.

*

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Nightwhisker paced around the clearing. "It's no use," she muttered. "The path is set."

"Surely not!" Leapkit gasped.

"Perhaps we can appear in his dreams again," Moonflower suggested.

"No! He does not even remember the last dream we came to him in!" Nightwhisker scored her claws against a rock.

"I still can't believe that this is the kit I raised!" Snowfur wailed.

"I just hope Shadestorm can turn him in the right direction," Dusktail meowed grimly. "Or the Clans are doomed."

"What about my vision?" Sageflower padded into the clearing. "'Fire will save the Clans.'"

"We do not yet know what that means, Sageflower!" Nightwhisker hissed.

"But I do." An eerie voice echoed around the StarClan cats, and they dipped their heads in respect as a magnificent, shimmering white cat prowled into view.

"Star," Dusktail meowed respectfully.

"Yes, it is I," Star meowed. "And I have something of the utmost importance to say. Tigerpaw is a threat. A grand threat. But every threat has its weaknesses." With that Star disappeared.

"What was that about?" Leapkit meowed in confusion.

*

**Okay, guess who the black kit was. Just guess.**

**I know that I've made Runningpaw an apprentice, like, forever, but don't worry! I'll make him a warrior soon! I also know that Bluefur's been pregnant forever! SORRY!**

**And I realized that I brought Crowflight back from the dead. My bad.**

**Well, bye!**

**(P.S.—Press the blue-green-white button down there and see what it does. Pwease?)**

**Ciao!**

**~LenzieKat~**


	10. New Additions

**Okay, read this! Moons have passed, about four moons. Dappletail's kits have become apprentices, Runningpaw became a warrior, and Speckletail had kits. And I know that Frostpaw was supposed to be Bluefur's apprentice, but I couldn't work it out.**

*

ThunderClan

Leader—**Sunstar—ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy—**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom (apprentice, Whitepaw)**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors—

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs (apprentice, Tigerpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom (apprentice, Sparrowpaw)**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail **

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom (apprentice, Frostpaw)**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle (apprentice, Goldenpaw)**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail**

**Runningwind—a swift tabby tom**

Queens—

**Petalfur—a gray tabby she-cat with white splashes on her pelt (mother of Darkkit, Willowkit, and Brindlekit)**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat (mother of Longkit, Mousekit, and Spottedkit)**

Apprentices—

**Whitepaw—a white tom with amber eyes**

**Tigerpaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes**

**Frostpaw—beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes**

**Goldenpaw—pale ginger she-cat**

**Sparrowpaw—brown tabby tom with a white chest, white paws, and white tipped-tail**

Elders—

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one-eye, virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears **

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; the oldest cat in ThunderClan**

*

"Hi, Tigerpaw!" Dapplepaw bounded over to me as I entered the clearing at Fourtrees.

I rubbed my muzzled against hers, and twined my tail with hers. "I missed you," I murmured.

"Same here," she replied. "I came here half a moon ago, but you weren't here." Her eyes had a hurt look in them.

"Sorry," I apologized. "Thistleclaw made me clean out the dirty moss in camp that night."

"Oh."

"But I still wanted to come."

"Thanks," Dapplepaw meowed. "So, what's new in your Clan?"

"Runningpaw's a warrior now. His name's Runningwind. And Dappletail's kits are apprentices…"

"Foxheart's dead."

"What?" I meowed, startled.

"She died battling rats at Carrionplace. Cloudpelt's the new deputy." Dapplepaw looked at me curiously. "Didn't you know? It was announced at the Gathering."

"I didn't go. I'm guessing you didn't either."

Dapplepaw shook her head. "We also have a new cat."

"Who?"

She made a face. "He's an outsider, a rogue. His name's Boulder."

"Boulder?"

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes. "Raggedstar takes in too many outsiders. It's weakness."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "A Clan needs pure blood in it. Half-Clan blood weakens everyone. It makes the cats have divided loyalties."

Dapplepaw nodded agreement. "When do you think you'll get your warrior name?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I've only been an apprentice for seven moons. It's not a lot of experience."

"I've been one for seven moons too." Dapplepaw laughed. "I guess I'm not going to be a warrior soon either."

"When _I'm _a warrior, I'll be the best warrior in ThunderClan."

Dapplepaw purred. "And I'll be the best in ShadowClan!"

Sadness washed over me. "I wish you lived in ThunderClan."

Dapplepaw smiled at me. "Who knows? Maybe someday the Clans will join together as one great Clan."

"That would be better than four Clans always fighting with each other," I agreed.

A new idea dawned on me. One combined Clan, me as the ruler, free from kittypets and rogues…I could call it TigerClan, named after me and the great cats of TigerClan before.

*

I was woken up by coughing. I raised my head, irritated. "What the—?" I had been up for most of the night with Dapplepaw, and had just gotten back to camp a while ago.

"S—_cough_—sorry, Tigerpaw," Sparrowpaw meowed. I looked at him and saw that his eyes were bright with fever.

I snarled. "Go to Featherwhisker or something, mouse brain, before you get every cat in ThunderClan sick!"

Sparrowpaw coughed again and nodded. "Ok—_cough_—ay." He padded out of the den.

I then noticed that the den was strangely empty. Where was everyone? I poked Goldenpaw, who was the only cat still here.

"Wha—? Get away, you—oh, Tigerpaw, it's you." Goldenpaw seemed embarrassed.

"Where is everyone?" I asked her.

"Oh, um…" she shuffled her paws on the ground. "They're by the nursery, I think. Bluefur began her kitting."

"Really? Thanks!" I raced out of the den and skidded to a halt outside the nursery.

Speckletail glanced at me. "Hello, Tigerpaw."

"How's Bluefur?"

"She has three kits. Featherwhisker told us that they look exactly like her."

"Oh." I wondered if Sparrowpaw was in the medicine cat den, waiting for him.

"Has she named them yet?"

Speckletail shrugged.

_Cough_.

I turned around and saw Stonepelt, his body shaking with coughing. "Is every cat going to get sick?" I meowed, annoyed.

"Yes, Stonepelt, you should really go to the medicine den," Speckletail meowed. Her eyes were narrowed in concern and I remembered Stonepelt was her father.

Featherwhisker padded out of the nursery, and cats pressed in on him, asking questions.

"Wait. Who wants to go see the kits?" Featherwhisker meowed.

I pushed my way to the front of the crowd. "Can I?"

Featherwhisker nodded. "Go ahead."

I padded into the nursery. Bluefur was laying in a nest, three blue-gray kits curled around her belly. As I came in, one of them, a tiny female, raised her head and wailed.

Bluefur chuckled. "She sounds just like her father when she does that."

"Who _is_ their father?" I asked.

Bluefur's face grew dark. "He—he doesn't wish me to tell."

I decided to switch the subject. "What are their names?"

Bluefur seemed relieved. "This one," she laid her tail on the female, "is Mistykit. This," she nodded to the larger male, "is Stonekit. And he," she flicked her ear at the other male, "is Mosskit."

"Those are good names. Are any named after the father?" I thought that if she said yes, then the father might be Stonepelt.

"No," Bluefur laughed. "Go away and let the others in. I'm sure they want to see ThunderClan's newest warriors too."

"Okay." I dipped my head quickly and rushed out the den "You guys can come in now," I told the waiting cats.

I thought I'd check on Sparrowpaw, so I headed to the medicine den.

"Oh, Tigerpaw, don't tell me you have whitecough too!" Featherwhisker exclaimed. He was mixing a poultice.

"Um, no. I was just coming to check on Sparrowpaw," I meowed.

"Oh, good." Featherwhisker visibly relaxed. "It's just that I'm busy, and Spottedkit won't be an apprentice for a while."

"Spottedkit?"

"Oh, I think I'm going to take her as my apprentice when it's time. But she's only three moons." Featherwhisker sighed. "No matter how interested she is in herbs."

Sparrowpaw came in the den, coughing. "The yarrow didn't work, Featherwhisker."

"Fox dung," Featherwhisker muttered. "Did it work for Stonepelt?"

"Um…kind of. He's trying to keep it down."

"Maybe I should go," I suggested.

"Tigerpaw, could you do me a favor? Would you go and collect some catmint for me?" Featherwhisker pushed his poultice towards Sparrowpaw.

"Whatever," I huffed, and I ran out of the camp and over to Twolegplace, where catmint grew in a garden. I crawled under a fence and nosed the leaves.

Catmint…catmint…oh, there it was. I grabbed a mouthful and prepared to return to Featherwhisker.

_Creak_.

I jumped as I heard a kittypet door sound, and I raced into some nearby bushes to hide.

A ginger tabby she-cat padded out of the nest, and I saw two mewling kits hanging from her jaws. Two more followed behind.

She set them down, and they began to squeal.

"Hush, Princess!" the she-cat purred. "You'll wake the housefolk."

Another kit, a flame-colored one, poked his sister with a paw. The sister wailed.

"Rusty! What was that for! No, don't go into the forest, sweetie," she added as 'Rusty' began to pad on unsteady legs toward the bush I was hiding in.

The she-cat turned away, and I used that to my advantage, racing away through the hole.

I looked back, and saw 'Rusty' looking back with curious green eyes.

"Dumb kittypet!" I growled, before sprinting back to the ThunderClan camp.

Featherwhisker was delighted with the catmint. I rolled my eyes at his praise and went back to sleep.

*

**Okay, I bet it wouldn't take you a mousetail to figure out who the kits were. And their mother. Heehee.**

**I want 138 reviews before I update again!**

**Please send in ideas.**

**Toodaloo! **

**~LenzieKat~**


	11. Choice, Pure Choice

**Hey, I know I brought Rusty into the story too early. So do me a favor and forget I ever put him in. Okay? (I'll fix it later)**

**TOMORROW IS MY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

*****

ThunderClan

Leader—**Sunstar—ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy—**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom (apprentice, Whitepaw)**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors—

**Thistleclaw—a gray tom one white leg and three darker gray legs (apprentice, Tigerpaw)**

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom (apprentice, Sparrowpaw)**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom (apprentice, Frostpaw)**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle (apprentice, Goldenpaw)**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail**

**Runningwind—a swift tabby tom**

Queens—

**Petalfur—a gray tabby she-cat with white splashes on her pelt (mother of Darkkit, Willowkit, and Brindlekit)**

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat (mother of Longkit, Mousekit, and Spottedkit)**

**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Stonekit, Mistykit, and Mosskit)**

Apprentices—

**Whitepaw—a white tom with amber eyes**

**Tigerpaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes**

**Frostpaw—beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes**

**Goldenpaw—pale ginger she-cat**

**Sparrowpaw—brown tabby tom with white chest, white paws, and white tipped tail **

Elders—

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; oldest cat in ThunderClan**

*****

**Tigerpaw's POV**

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Sunstar let out a commanding yowl.

I rolled my eyes and padded out of the apprentices' den. When I was leader of the Clan, I wouldn't waste time with such mouse-brained meetings.

"I have an announcement to make!"

Duh.

"Tawnyspots will be retiring!" Sunstar called out.

Shocked gasps echoed around the clearing. "Surely not?" Stonepelt meowed. His voice was still hoarse from being sick.

Thankfully, the greencough threat had subsided, though Featherwhisker said that it was still in the air.

I saw Bluefur emerging from the nursery with an interested look on her face. What did she have to be interested about?

I also saw Thistleclaw, glaring at me. He had pretty much left me alone since I almost killed him.

Sunstar waited for every cat to quiet down, then beckoned Tawnyspots up to the Highrock.

"I will not retire immediately," Tawnyspots began, "but I will soon."

"Why?" Frostpaw burst out. She then looked embarrassed to have spoken out in the meeting and bowed her head.

"Also, we have a new warrior to make!" Sunstar yowled. "Whitepaw, come up here please."

Whitepaw, who was at the back of the crowd, came forward, a look of surprise dawning on his face.

"Whitepaw, your warrior ceremony is long overdue," Tawnyspots told his apprentice. "It is time to fix that." Under his breath he whispered, "You are my last apprentice, and the best I have trained."

Whitepaw purred and licked his mentor's ear. "I will never forget what you have taught me."

Sunstar raised his head and yowled to the Clan: "Whitepaw, as an apprentice, you have shown intelligence and skills that shape you. And now, I, Sunstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as warrior in his turn."

Whitepaw glanced at me and I gave him an encouraging nod, though I felt a pang of envy. Surely I should be made a warrior now too, as our skills were matched—and I was more skillful, anyway—and we had become apprentices at the same time.

"Whitepaw," Sunstar continued, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

My foster brother held his head high and meowed, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Whitepaw, from now on you shall be known as Whitestorm. StarClan honors your quick thinking and skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Sunstar rested his muzzle on Whitestorm's head, and Whitestorm in turn licked his leader's shoulder.

At that moment, I could have sworn I saw another white figure twining itself around Whitestorm's body, though Whitestorm seemed to not know the figure was there.

Then, the figure turned around and looked at me, and I saw the familiar blue eyes.

"Snowfur?" I whispered.

Snowfur's gaze was full of pain and disappointment, and before she disappeared, I heard a voice in the air.

"_You were like a son to me, Tigerpaw. But what has happened to you now I cannot understand. StarClan is losing you…"_

I fell back and yowled in shock, and heads turned.

"I'm okay!" I called to the Clan. "Just thought I saw a rat."

"Anyway…" Sunstar meowed. "Whitestorm, tonight you will sit vigil outside the camp and guard it. You must not talk."

Whitestorm nodded.

"You can talk now," Sunstar purred. "But when the moon comes, your voice must be silent for one night."

"Thank you, Sunstar," Whitestorm mewed respectfully.

I glared at them. Didn't Sunstar have enough sense to realize that I should be the warrior now, not Whitestorm?

"Tigerpaw!"

Oh great.

"What, Thistleclaw?" I hissed to my mentor.

"Tawnyspots assigned us to go on a hunting patrol with Lionheart and Goldenpaw." Thistleclaw sank his claw into my ear. "Got that, fox dung?"

"Lucky we're in camp, or I would kill you right now!" I muttered.

"Is something wrong?" Lionheart padded up to us and looked at Thistleclaw concernedly. "You just scratched your apprentice."

"Oh," Thistleclaw drawled. "There was a bee on his ear."

"Really? Did it sting you?" Goldenpaw asked me. She then shuffled her paws on the ground and seemed embarrassed to have talked.

"No…actually, I'm okay." I looked at the younger she-cat with disdain and moved away from her.

"Let's go," Lionheart rumbled. "The Clan must be fed."

*

I had caught three mice and a vole, and as I dropped my prey on the fresh-kill pile, Whitestorm padded up to me. His fur was plastered to himself from the rain that had started falling.

"Are you mad?" he asked me.

"Why would I be mad?" I shook a raindrop out of my eye.

"Well…because I was made a warrior, and you weren't."

"No, I'm not mad. You're older than me, anyway." I nosed around for a piece of prey that wasn't soaking wet.

"How are things with Dapplepaw?"

"Ah-ha." I picked out a shrew that didn't drip water. "Nice and dry."

"Well?" Whitestorm pressed.

I growled. "I don't remember _you_ being part of our relationship. Or have you been around the whole time and I've turned into an old forgetful elder?"

"Tigerpaw, come on. This can't go on forever. Aren't there any she-cats in ThunderClan that catch your eye? Or they could be toms, for all I care."

"Toms?" I spat. "Now you've lost it."

"Look, I'm just trying to make sure you don't regret this."

"Regret? Why would I regret spending most of my time with the most beautiful cat in the world?" I rolled my eyes.

Whitestorm sighed. "I guess I'm not getting through to you."

"Yup."

"'Bye, then. It's getting late and I have to sit my vigil." Whitestorm turned around and padded over to the camp entrance, while I huffed and decided to go for a stroll. Not along the ShadowClan border, because I didn't really feel like meeting with Dapplepaw tonight for some reason.

I headed for the WindClan border instead.

*

The wind whipped at my face, and I growled. "How do WindClan cats stand this?"

I still wasn't even sure why I was going on a stroll in the first place. And at night, near enemy territory.

Stupid.

Suddenly I smelled fresh WindClan scent. Had a patrol spotted me? At least I was on my own territory.

I saw a copper-colored she-cat—with one white front paw—approaching me. Her scent smelled familiar, and as she came closer, I meowed: "Cloverpaw?"

"Hi!"

Yes, there it was. That annoyingly chirpy voice.

"I better—"

"No," Cloverpaw laughed. "I'm not going to chase you away."

I unsheathed my claws anyway.

"So how are things with you and Dapplepaw?" Cloverpaw asked curiously.

"W—what?"

"Oh, I know things. Actually, Dapplepaw told me when we saw each other a couple of moons ago. We're better friends than you think."

"Right…"

"So?" Cloverpaw asked.

"Well, I'm wondering if maybe I should just look for love in my own Clan."

"Mouse brain! You can't ignore a feeling like love!" Cloverpaw's chirpy voice turned angry.

"But—"

"No buts! Dapplepaw had the same thoughts as you a while ago, but not now! You two have that special _something_!"

"StarClan save me, but are you actually offering advice to an enemy apprentice?"

"Sure. I don't believe in that whole Clan-must-be-enemies-or-StarClan-will-kill-you theory. I like being friends with everyone."

Really? What about a ShadowClan warrior who wants to tear your throat out?

"Anyway, I better go. My Clan will have noticed I'm gone soon." I made for the forest.

"Wait!"

"WHAT?" I halted.

"Listen to your heart, Tigerpaw." With that Cloverpaw sprinted away with that speed that all WindClan cats seem to have.

*****

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

"Congratulations, Snowfur, your son is a warrior!" Leapkit meowed.

"He will be a great addition to the Clan," Snowfur sighed. "But I worry about…"

"…Tigerpaw," the other cats chimed.

"He is becoming a threat," Dusktail reported. "And those he loves are threatened by him."

"Could you explain that, Dusktail?" Sageflower asked.

Dusktail shook his head.

"He cannot, just as we cannot explain prophecies," Star—prophecy-maker of StarClan—snarled. "Do not ask him." The powerful white tom looked Leapkit in the eyes. "Not even his sister."

"Mouse dung," Leapkit muttered.

"NO!" A shriek echoed around the clearing, and heads turned to see Nightwhisker crouched beside the Pool.

"What is it, Nightwhisker?" Moonflower asked.

"Look."

"Surely not!" Dark-eye gasped as he saw the images in the Pool.

"It can't be!" others wailed.

"It is," Nightwhisker meowed gravely. "Clover, Thistle, Red, Running, Gray, Brindle, Blue, Gorse, Stone…"

"How?" Snowfur yelped.

"How does a cat eat, or drink?" Star meowed. "Choice. Pure choice. And that is how this happens. Choice. Pure choice."

*****

**How'd you like it?**

**Thank you for the many reviews. It makes me so happy!**

**165. That's how many more I want.**

**Thank youz!**

**Ciao,**

**~LenzieKat~**


	12. Loss And Gain

**Wow…almost all of you guys guessed why Nightwhisker was rolling off names…I'd tell you something else, but it would spoil something. :) **

**I decided not to do the allegiances on this chapter, because I was lazy. Sorry, but it's the same as last chapter except Whitestorm is in the Warriors section.**

**I know this chapter is short, but I had already written another longer chapter when I realized that I left an important thing out, so I wrote this one.**

**Read my A/N at the end, please!**

**Whoever reviews gets a Whitestorm plushie! (You know you want one!)**

*

**Tigerpaw's POV**

A wail of distress jolted me awake, and I sleepily padded out of the apprentices' den to see what was the matter.

"My kits! Where are my kits?" Bluefur's panicked voice rang across the ThunderClan camp.

Cats began emerging from their dens, shaking snow from their pelts.

"Bluefur, what happened?" Petalfur raced over to the wailing blue-gray queen. "What's wrong?"

"Yes, what's going on?" Whitestorm was one of the many cats asking questions.

Bluefur was lying on the ground outside the nursery, a mouse at her paws. "I—I had gone hunting," she meowed shakily. "And I had left my kits sleeping safely."

"And did they run away, maybe to explore?" Dappletail asked.

"Come look." Bluefur retreated into the nursery. I followed and saw a large hole in the nursery wall. It had a distinct smell of fox.

"It looks like a fox broke in and took the kits," Speckletail meowed in a hushed voice. "And Petalfur and I weren't in here because we were out making dirt, and we thought you were in here."

Bluefur let out another choked wail.

"What's going on?" Sunstar demanded. He shouldered his way into the nursery, Tawnyspots following close behind.

"My kits have disappeared!" Bluefur wailed. "Mistykit…Stonekit…M—Mosskit…" At the last name she collapsed on the ground again. "Mosskit…I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Gone?" Sunstar meowed in disbelief. He shook his head a couple of times, then he padded outside into the clearing.

"Thistleclaw, you take your apprentice and three others and follow the fox scent in the nursery. Stonepelt, take your apprentice, three others, search near the RiverClan border. Lionheart, your apprentice, three others, search the ShadowClan border."

Every cat nodded and began splitting up into groups.

"Tigerpaw!" Thistleclaw padded over to me. "Halftail, Patchpelt, and Sparrowpaw are coming with us."

The rest of the patrol joined us and Thistleclaw led us over to the nursery, where he sniffed at the hole in the wall. "Fox," he muttered. "This way." He bounded through the hole, beckoning with his tail for us to follow.

The fox scent led us to Fourtrees, and then to the Twoleg bridge on RiverClan territory. "Search around here," Thistleclaw ordered.

I padded over as close to the Twoleg bridge as possible without getting off ThunderClan territory. A faint scent drifted past my nose, and my eyes flew wide open. "Thistleclaw!" I yowled. "I think I found some of Stonekit, Mistykit, and Mosskit's scent!"

"What?" Sparrowpaw meowed. He sniffed the ground. "There's their scent all right, but there's also the smell of death! But…there's no blood scent."

The other warriors joined us. "Sparrowpaw's right," Halftail meowed. "There is death-scent here, but no blood."

"Let's get back to camp and report this to Sunstar," Patchpelt decided.

*

We reached the camp, where Sunstar was listening to a report from Lionheart's patrol.

"…no kit-scent, no blood scent, nothing, really."

"I see." Sunstar sighed. Then he perked up when he saw us approaching him. "Anything?" he asked.

"We followed the fox scent and it led us to the Twoleg bridge in RiverClan territory," Thistleclaw reported.

"You didn't trespass, I hope?"

"No, not at all. But we found Bluefur's kits' scent, and death-scent. We found no blood scent, though."

"I see." Sunstar sighed. "We must just accept that the kits are gone. Stonepelt's patrol found nothing, either."

Bluefur emerged from the nursery and came over to us. "I am not a queen anymore. I will take up my warrior duties again."

"So be it." Sunstar gave Bluefur a sympathetic smile.

*

Half a moon had passed since the disappearance of Bluefur's kits.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

I yawned and padded over to the Highrock, where Sunstar and Tawnyspots sat.

"The time has come to appoint the new deputy!" Sunstar called.

I sat straighter. I couldn't wait to become deputy someday. I would become deputy, then leader, then take over the other Clans to form TigerClan.

"Tawnyspots, you have been an honorable deputy, and the Clan thanks you for your service."

A chant of "Tawnyspots! Tawnyspots!" rang around the camp.

"Tawnyspots, do you wish to give up the post of deputy and go to join the elders?"

"I do," Tawnyspots replied solemnly.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I strip you of your title. From now on, you are an elder."

Tawnyspots padded over and joined the group of elders, and Rosetail gave him a welcoming nudge.

"I say these words before the former deputy, Tawnyspots."

I saw Thistleclaw lean forward with a look of hunger on his face.

"Bluefur will be the new deputy!"

Thistleclaw's look of hunger turned into a look of outrage, while a look of surprise and happiness dawned on Bluefur's face.

"Thank you, Sunstar," she meowed. "I am delighted to be given this honor, and I vow to serve my Clan as best as I possibly can."

I watched as cats came forward and gave Bluefur nudges of congratulations.

Someday, they would be doing that to me, and I would be on my way to power.

*****

**Please review! And I won't update again until I have 180 reviews. I have two more completed chapters, you just have to review to get them.**

**MWAHAHA!**

**And I know the updates on my other fanfics have been slow, but I really want to concentrate on this one. I WILL update on them, just not as quickly as this one. **

**New Game!  
You may (or may not) have noticed that my chapter titles have strange names. I want YOU to go and tell me what you think they mean. You can tell me what you think for ALL the chapters, or just a few. The people who get the most right WIN a special prize. **

**Ciao!**

**~LenzieKat~**


	13. Author Note

**Hey, just a quick reminder—**

**I have TWO MORE completed chapters, ready for posting. I WILL NOT put them up until I have 175-180 reviews. Give them to me, and I shall update.**

**Got that?**

**Oh, so no one can report me for this…**

*****

**Tigerpaw's POV**

I sighed. Bluefur was a good deputy, but Thistleclaw seemed to resent her for it.

And I wondered if anyone knew my secret…I hoped not. If anyone ever found out…

Bad stuff would happen.

*

**Ha!**


	14. Courage, Strength, And Heartbreak

**I decided not to do the allegiances this chapter, either. They're still the same, except now Tawyspots is an elder and Bluefur is deputy.**

**I'm not updating again until I get 10 more reviews. And you will want to review after this chappie. *evil grin***

**Yes, I own Warriors. I own every single character and idea. I also own Harry Potter and Twilight. And I own the world. And America. And I am God.**

**That means I don't own it, idiot.**

**Whoever reviews gets a LenzieKat plushie! Isn't that great? (silence) Fine, a Bluefur plushie, then. **

*****

**Tigerpaw's POV**

I rushed through the undergrowth, wind buffeting my fur. The strong ShadowClan scent crept into my nose, and I shook my head to clear it.

"Tigerpaw!" Dapplepaw's voice greeted me.

_Dapplepaw. _I smashed through the last bush and came face-to-face with the beautiful tortoiseshell and—I sighed—Wildpaw. The golden-furred she-cat had a scowl on her face.

"What's your problem?" she demanded.

"What?" I was bewildered by Wildpaw's question.

Dapplepaw seemed bothered about something, and she shuffled her paws on the ground. "I think some cat in your Clan has been following me."

"What?"

"Is that all you can say? 'What'"? Wildpaw hissed. "She said that a ThunderClan cat has been stalking her whenever she leaves camp!"

"But—how? I mean, has no cat seen him or recognized his scent?" I didn't understand.

"I—I don't know!" Dapplepaw wailed. "No cat can tell who it is. It's like his scent screams ThunderClan, but it's covered with something else."

"And he's seriously freaking us out!" Wildpaw snarled. "Have you set one of your friends on Dapplepaw? Do you love her so much that you want to know what she's doing all the time?"

"No!" I growled. "I never even knew about this until you just told me!"

Dapplepaw turned her beautiful golden eyes on me. They were full of sadness. "I don't know what's wrong. And I'm getting scared."

"I'll be alright. Show me where his scent is, and maybe I'll recognize it."

Dapplepaw nodded. "Okay." She and Wildpaw bounded through the trees, coming to a stop at a flattened area of grass.

I opened my jaws and drew in the scent. There was something familiar about it…and it was ThunderClan, all right. There was also a hint of anger in it…like fear-scent, only it was anger-scent. I nodded. "I don't recognize it, but I'll go back to camp and see if any cat matches it."

Dapplepaw purred. "Thanks, Tigerpaw." She brushed her muzzle against mine. "I love you."

"I love you too." For a minute I bathed in her wonderful flowery scent, so different from the harsh, tangy smell of Dapplepaw's stalker.

"I better go," I meowed. "I'm due on the dawn patrol."

Dapplepaw shrugged. "Okay. But remember to ask your leader if you can come to the Gathering, the one in a quarter-moon. My mentor already told me I could go."

I twined tails with her one more time and then raced back to camp before any cat noticed I was missing.

*

"Where have you been?" Thistleclaw bombarded me with questions as soon as I entered the ravine.

"Out," I snapped.

"Where, fox dung?" Thistleclaw unsheathed his claws.

"Leave me al—" I stopped. "Never mind."

If I wanted to be a warrior, then I couldn't go picking fights with my mentor—even if he deserved to die.

Thistleclaw bared his teeth at me. As if he could read my mind, "I need to talk to you about your warrior ceremony."

I rolled my eyes. "Let me guess, you're never going to let be have mine," I muttered under my breath.

"Sunstar and Tawnyspots think you're ready to become a warrior," Thistleclaw continued. "Personally, I think they're mousebrained, but I'm not leader…yet." With that he padded away.

I gaped. What did, 'yet' mean?

"Tigerpaw!" Whitestorm interrupted my thoughts. Redtail, Runningwind, and Lionheart were behind him.

"What?" I meowed dryly.

"Time for the dawn patrol," Redtail meowed smugly. "And I'm leading it."

I felt a growl rising in my throat. "Really?"

"Yup, and we have to take along an apprentice, so…" Lionheart replied. "It was _supposed _to be a patrol of just warriors…"

"Guys, come on," Whitestorm meowed. "Leave him alone."

"Fine," Runningwind laughed. "But he better not slow us down."

We headed for the RiverClan border, where we were supposed to patrol Sunningrocks. Redtail halted and turned to face us. "Do you…smell anything?" he asked.

"Like what?" I asked, irritated.

"I don't know…blood, perhaps?" Redtail's fur bristled.

Lionheart's eyes widened. "Where?"

"Not on our territory." Redtail shrugged. "Not our problem."

Runningwind snorted. "Leave it to RiverClan or ShadowClan, whoever's problem it _is_."

We left, and my mind puzzled over what was going on with the blood.

*

Sunhigh came and Sunstar leaped onto the Highrock. Thistleclaw was mysteriously missing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" the golden leader yowled.

My pelt prickling with anticipation, I followed the other cats over to Sunstar. He beckoned me up with his tail.

"We have gathered her today to welcome a new warrior into the Clan. By naming new warriors, we ensure that the Clan remains strong. Tigerpaw's mentor is absent—"

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

"—but we will still continue with the ceremony. I, Sunstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as warrior in his turn. Tigerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" Sunstar paused, and I remembered what to say.

I held my head up and straightened my shoulders. "I do!"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Tigerpaw, from now on you shall be known as Tigerclaw. StarClan honors your courage and strength , and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Sunstar rested his muzzle on my head, and I licked his shoulder.

*

**Shadestorm's POV**

My heart swelled with pride as my son received his name. My Tigerpaw—no, I reminded myself, Tiger_claw_.

But then I remembered the dark path he was set on.

And the grief he was soon to experience.

*****

**Tigerclaw's POV**

Whitestorm came up to me. "Congratulations, Tigerclaw! Nice name, too."

"Thanks." A thought struck me. "Hey, Whitestorm, I don't have to start my vigil until the moon rises, right?"

"Um, yeah, I think so."

"Good." With that I raced away.

I stopped at the RiverClan border where Redtail had smelled the blood. Opening my jaws, I drew in air, and immediately tasted blood. It was coming from ShadowClan.

My heart skipped a beat and I followed the scent trail all the way to the ShadowClan border.

I decided to cross it, because this was something worth investigating.

The blood-scent became stronger, and I knew I had to hurry because the sun was going down.

Then I smelled ThunderClan scent—besides mine. "No…" I dashed through scraggly bushes and then the ground gave way to marsh.

I was almost at the edge of ShadowClan's territory—the part that led off into the unknown forest.

"No…no…please…"

I left the Clan's territory completely.

And then I picked up a new scent—actually two new scents.

And I stopped—and my heart almost broke in two.

And I looked at the still, bloody body of the beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat in huddled on the ground in front of me.

The she-cat had a black paw, a black ear, and lovely golden eyes.

I knew her by the name of Dapplepaw.

*

**Ooh, cliffie! **

**Please Review! And keep playing the Game! Oh, and the people who have been playing, good work! But I won't announce the winners until…later. **

**Ciao!**

**~LenzieKat~**


	15. How Could You?

**Keep on with the Game. **

**I want to get 200 reviews on this. Could you do that for me? Pleases?**

**Whoever reviews gets a Brackenkit plushie, a Brackenpaw plushie, a Brackenfur plushie, and the future Brackenstar plushie! (I ran out of plushie ideas)**

*

**Tigerclaw's POV**

"Dapplepaw…"

I nosed through her fur and found a gash—straight and clean, as is made by a cat—on her neck. It was still pulsing bright red blood.

Her eyes—her beautiful golden eyes—stared sightlessly, glazed over, at the sky. There was fear in them, and some other emotion I couldn't identify.

And it hit me.

She was dead.

I would never again hear her voice, a voice that that sounded like calm water flowing over rocks. I would never again feel the touch of her fur against mine. I would never again twine my tail with hers…and once she was buried, I would never see her again.

The other scent caught my attention, and I padded a few fox-lengths away.

I stopped in my tracks. Wildpaw's body was half-concealed under a rotting log. Her face was frozen in a snarl, her eyes staring at a spot over by a scraggly tree. Her claws were stained with blood, and there was a gash on her neck similar to the one on Dapplepaw.

"Wildpaw…" Though I had never been exactly friendly with the unkempt she-cat, I felt a grudging respect for her.

And now she and Dapplepaw were both dead.

_How had this happened?_

Some cat had to have murdered them…no fox or badger could make that sort of killing mark.

But who would do such a thing?

*****

**Shadestorm's POV—before Tigerclaw found Dapplepaw and Wildpaw**

I followed Thistleclaw as he crept through ShadowClan's territory. He stopped and climbed up one of the scraggly trees after a while.

He was watching two she-cats—Dapplepaw and Wildpaw, I think their names were—with menacing hate in his eyes.

Dapplepaw halted and smelled the air, alarm growing in her eyes. "Wildpaw. It's that scent again."

"No!" Wildpaw spun around and came to stand behind her friend. She opened her jaws and drew in air. "It smells different."

All of a sudden, Thistleclaw leaped out of the tree and landed on Dapplepaw.

"Help!" Dapplepaw screeched in fear. "Wildpaw, help me!" She squirmed under the gray warrior.

"Say your last words," Thistleclaw growled.

"NO!" Wildpaw jumped on Thistleclaw and began clawing him. "Leave her alone!"

"ARGH!" Thistleclaw raked his claws across Wildpaw's neck and she stumbled back, dropping on the ground, still, blood gushing from her wounds.

"WILDPAW!" Dapplepaw wailed. She looked at Thistleclaw, and screeched, "Why?"

"My son…my killer son…he must pay…" Thistleclaw sank his teeth into the she-cat's throat. Dapplepaw's struggles grew weaker, and she whispered, "I love you, Tigerpaw," before going limp.

I watched in horror.

*****

**Tigerclaw's POV**

My head was spinning with grief. I didn't think I was thinking correctly.

I took a couple of deep breaths and looked at Wildpaw's claws—licking away the blood, of course. In between them, I found tufts of gray fur. I sniffed it.

_I knew that scent!_

"Looking for me?" a voice drawled.

I bristled as Thistleclaw stepped out of the shadows. He had splashes of blood all over him—blood I knew to be Dapplepaw and Wildpaw's blood.

"You…" I whispered. "YOU MURDERER!" I sprang at him, clawing each and every piece of fur I could find. "Why did you do it?!"

"To teach you a lesson! You betrayed your Clan, you killed your mother, and YOU DESERVE TO DIE!" Thistleclaw pushed me away and sank his claws into my throat.

I couldn't breathe as he increased the pressure on my neck. I choked and spluttered. I knew I would suffocate if I didn't do something.

I closed my eyes and went limp, and Thistleclaw relaxed his grip.

"Three more for StarClan tonight," he hissed. "And your little friend asked me to give you a message right before I killed her. She told me to tell you she _loved you_." He spat.

She loved me…

"And they did fight, bravely…" Thistleclaw snorted. "Such a pity."

Anger surged through my veins and I sprang up and now Thistleclaw was under me, at my mercy.

The mocking look in his eyes turned to fear and hatred, then it faded into nothing as I ripped my claws across his neck and the life went out of him forever.

I stepped back and looked at the three bodies in front of me: Thistleclaw's, Wildpaw's, and Dapplepaw's.

I had just killed my father.

And my father had just killed two innocent cats—one who I loved more than life itself.

"What did you just do?" Another voice startled me, and I spun around, expecting to see a ShadowClan cat. Instead, I saw who I least expected to see.

Cloverpaw, bristling with fear, partly hidden in the shadow of a tree. Her jaw hung open in shock, and she slowly met my gaze.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I—heard—a fight…a scream…and I came over this way and saw you kill him." She looked at Thistleclaw's still body. "I have to tell Tallstar about this." She backed away.

No! I would be exiled…all my hopes off TigerClan…and Cloverpaw would ruin it all.

"Never!" I lunged at the copper-colored she-cat, and sank my teeth into her throat.

Cloverpaw squirmed. "No! Stop! Someone, help! HELP!"

I shook my head. "I can't let you," I muttered.

I bit down harder, and Cloverpaw's struggles weakened, and finally ended, and I saw the light leave her eyes.

I stumbled away. "That'll teach you," I hissed.

"No!"

I growled and spun around. Not another witness.

I stopped dead in my tracks, though. What I saw was a dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes—almost an exact image of me.

"Tigerclaw!" the she-cat wailed. "What have you done?"

"W—who are you?"

"Your mother, Shadestorm!" The she-cat looked pained. "You have ruined everything!"

"I…"

"Don't keep on the path your paws are set on, my son!"

Shadestorm faded away. I was left bewildered and a little frightened.

And then I looked at the four bodies.

There was only one thing to do. Cover up my scent and any traces of evidence that I had been here.

I padded over to Dapplepaw's body and leaned down by her ear.

"They will welcome you in StarClan, my precious. You died too young. I am sorry." I gave her ear one last lick and then grabbed Thistleclaw's body by the scruff.

*

"What happened?" Frostpaw wailed as I dragged Thistleclaw's body into camp.

"Yes," Sunstar meowed gravely. "I think we'd like to hear that too."

I set Thistleclaw down. "He picked a fight with a ShadowClan patrol. I found him and tried to help him drive them away, but I was too late. He'd been killed."

"Very well," my leader sighed. "You missed most of your vigil, though. Would you like to explain that?"

I thought wildly. "I thought I heard Thistleclaw's yowl, so I ran to see what was wrong." I hung my head. "I'm sorry I deserted my vigil."

"You are forgiven," Sunstar huffed. "But you must care for the elders for the next moon."

"Yes, Sunstar." I left the cats with my former mentor's body and padded over to the warriors' den, where I made a nest.

This could have been prevented…four deaths had happened today…I hoped there were no more witnesses…for they would have to be exterminated. It was a dangerous thing for any cat to know what had happened…how I had killed Thistleclaw and Cloverpaw…

I felt no regret, however. What I had done was done. There was no going back.

I thought about my plan, the one great TigerClan…If I could work hard enough to convince Bluefur I was a great warrior...perhaps when Sunstar died, she would appoint me as deputy…

Of course, Sunstar would have to get out of the way first, so Bluefur would become Bluestar and I would be Tigerclaw, the deputy.

How many lives did Sunstar have left, anyway?

I love you, Dapplepaw.

*

**Now Tigerclaw is REALLY becoming evil…**

**Go check out **brackenfurlover**'s stories, especially **"What Happens When Firestar Quits" **Hilariousness! **


	16. I Would Be Perfect

**I know! It's been almost two weeks since the last update! But I had no Internet connection for those two weeks!**

**A lot of you are mad at me for killing Dapplepaw, Wildpaw, and Cloverpaw. STOP YELLING AT ME! **

**Thanks SO much for all the reviews you guys have given me! You're so faithful. *sobs into a handkerchief***

**Keep playing the Game!**

*****

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Nightwhisker let out a low wail, startling all the cats around her.

"Nightwhisker, what's wrong?" Dusktail asked.

"It has happened."

"What's happened?" Leapkit meowed.

"Tigerclaw killed Thistleclaw and Cloverpaw." Nightwhisker sighed. "There are five coming to join us. We must be ready."

"Five? You just said two. Who else?" Moonflower asked.

"Dapplepaw and Wildpaw of ShadowClan, Thistleclaw of ThunderClan, Cloverpaw of WindClan, and my daughter," Nightwhisker told her.

"Shadestorm's coming?"

"Yes. Tigerclaw's heart is too dark for her to be in his life now," Nightwhisker meowed.

"Cloverpaw is coming?" A copper-colored she-cat pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "My daughter?"

"Yes, Coppertail. I am sorry." Nightwhisker laid her tail on the starry queen's shoulder.

Coppertail wailed. "She had her whole life ahead of her!"

"I know. It is terrible."

"Very terrible." Snowfur came up with Moonflower to soothe poor Coppertail.

A glowing ball of light appeared, and Shadestorm trudged into sight. She collapsed against Nightwhisker's side. "I am sorry, Mother. My son…"

"Shadestorm, there is nothing you can do anymore. Let him go."

Another ball of light appeared, and Thistleclaw came into view. His fur was matted and bloody.

Nightwhisker stepped forward, but Shadestorm beat her to the new arrival.

"You!" she screeched.

Thistleclaw's jaws fell open. "Shadestorm…"

"You caused my son to be this way! You destroyed his life! I loved you once! How could I fail to see what a MONSTER you were?" Shadestorm threw herself at her former mate.

"I—I—" Thistleclaw scampered away from Shadestorm's claws.

"You destroyed my son's life! I told you as my dying wish to _take care of him_!"

"He killed you!"

"_He was an innocent kit_!"

"He is the reason you died! I loved you so much…more than food or water, or life itself!" Thistleclaw defended himself angrily.

"If you loved me enough, you would have done what I wanted and loved Tigerkit—I mean, Tigerclaw and treated him as the best son in the world!" Shadestorm yowled.

"Enough, daughter." Nightwhisker silenced the hissing she-cat. She then faced Thistleclaw, who was cowering on the ground. "You killed two innocent apprentices in cold blood."

"For good reason."

"You abused your son from the moment he was born to the day he killed you."

"Because—"

"You murdered Dusktail—"

Dusktail hissed.

Nightwhisker flicked her tail at him. "—over a simple border matter."

"He was invading—"

"_Silence_!"

Thistleclaw flinched, gulped, then looked around at the glaring StarClan cats.

"So, Thistleclaw," Nightwhisker meowed coldly. "What have you say for yourself?"

"I—I—um…"

"Wait." A powerful, commanding voice rang out, and Star prowled into the clearing.

Thistleclaw gulped again.

Star gazed down at him. "I can see your thoughts. You were driven mad by your grief and took it out any way you could. Your short time here has cleared it a bit. But nevertheless, you are responsible for your actions and have not earned your place in StarClan—"

Thistleclaw's mouth hung open in a disbelieving gasp.

"—yet. You have time to repent and right your wrongs. I will not send you to the Place of No Stars, but you will not be accepted into StarClan. Instead, you will be sent to an in-between place, a place without a name. You will have four seasons to repent, then you will be judged. Do you accept this proposition?"

"I—yes."

"So be it." With a flick of his tail Star sent the cowardly warrior fading into nothing.

Three more balls of light appeared, and three apprentices stumbled into the clearing.

Coppertail tried to rush over to her daughter, but Sageflower barred her way.

"What's going on?" the unkempt golden-furred one hissed.

The tortoiseshell and the copper-colored one—with a white paw—gave each other frightened glances.

Then the tortoiseshell padded up to Star, bowed her head, and whispered, "We're in StarClan, aren't we?"

Star nodded. "I'm afraid so. Dapplepaw, Wildpaw, Cloverpaw, come." With his tail he led the three new arrivals over to the Prophecy Pool. "Look."

Dapplepaw peered into the pool. Images flashed in the water. "We're dead…" she murmured. "Thistleclaw killed me…and Wildpaw…" Confused, she looked at Cloverpaw. "But who killed you?"

Cloverpaw narrowed her eyes. "Tigerpaw."

"Actually, it's Tiger_claw_ now," Leapkit put in.

"Tigerclaw…" Dapplepaw smiled as she said his name. Then a light seemed to snap off in her eyes. "Tigerclaw killed you?"

Cloverpaw nodded.

"It's not true!" Dapplepaw snarled.

Nightwhisker decided it was time to intervene. "It is," she meowed gravely. "He also killed Thistleclaw after he found your body.

"I told you he was no good!" Wildpaw spat to Dapplepaw.

Shadestorm rested a comforting tail on Dapplepaw's shoulder. "He was my son. I died while giving birth to him. And he loved you so much, it nearly drove him mad when you were killed."

"Stop now. It is time for the ceremony," Star interrupted. To the three apprentices he meowed, "Dapplepaw, Wildpaw, Cloverpaw, you have all been loyal to your Clanmates and have given up your lives in service to your Clans. Is it your wish to enter StarClan, and therefore protect all the Clans for the rest of eternity?"

"It is," Cloverpaw and Dapplepaw meowed immediately.

"_All_ the Clans?" Wildpaw muttered. "Well, okay…it is."

"Then we welcome you three as full members of StarClan." Star dipped his head to them, then vanished.

"Cloverpaw! Wildpaw! Dapplepaw!" Chants sounded through the air.

Dapplepaw bowed her head in silence. _How could Tigerclaw do this? _

*

**Tigerclaw's POV**

Sunrises pass…

I carry out my punishment for skipping vigil and care for the elders…

Yet, even though StarClan welcomes three more—premature—deaths (for Thistleclaw does not deserve to join them), life goes on.

Dapplepaw is dead, but I hunt, I patrol, I talk with my Clanmates as if nothing ever happened, as if I had not lost the love of my life.

I sleep, I eat…

"Tigerclaw!" Bluefur padded over to my nest, where I lay watching the sun rise.

"Yes, Bluefur?"

"I need you to lead a hunting patrol. Take who you like, and be sure to bring back plenty of prey. And Sunstar says you may go to the Gathering tonight."

"Of course." My first patrol that I get to lead! I was determined to show every cat that I would be a great deputy.

I made a quick decision about who I would take.

"Lionheart, Whitestorm, Stonepelt." I prodded each warrior as I called their name.

"Wha—Tigerclaw? Whas goin on?" Whitestorm opened his jaws in an enormous yawn.

"Hunting patrol. Lionheart, Stonepelt, bring your apprentices." I went to wait at the camp entrance.

"Tigerclaw?" Whitestorm arrived first. "Is something going on?"

I hadn't told him about what had happened on the day of my warrior ceremony.

"Why would you think something was going on?" I growled.

"Did something happen between you and Dapplepaw? Did she choose her Clan over you or something?"

"No," I snapped.

"Oh," Whitestorm meowed, sounding relieved. "Then what's the—"

"She's dead," I hissed. "And so is Wildpaw."

"WHAT?" Whitestorm yowled.

"Mousebrain! Keep your voice down!" I hissed.

"What?" my foster brother whispered. "What happened?"

"Remember that blood scent Redtail found on that border patrol?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Before my warrior vigil began, I followed it."

"Did—"

"It led into ShadowClan territory."

"YOU WENT—"

"_Shut up_!"

"You went into ShadowClan territory?" Whitestorm's voice was quieter now.

"Yes. And the blood-scent led out of any Clan territory. And at the end of the trail…I found their bodies."

"You found—"

"Yes, mousebrain. I had to leave them there when…" I had to lie now. "When I heard Thistleclaw yowling by the border and I came over to him and found him dead. ShadowClan warriors were fleeing. I pieced together a story and figured that he had provoked the passing ShadowClan patrol and fought them, as he had tufts of fur reeking of ShadowClan stuck in his claws. I brought his body back, and you know the rest."

Whitestorm seemed to be about to say something when Lionheart and Stonepelt showed up with their apprentices, Frostpaw and Goldenpaw.

"Right, let's go," I meowed.

"Um, Tigerclaw, where are we going?" Lionheart asked.

I swiftly decided. "Over by Fourtrees. On a day like this all the prey will be out sunning themselves before the next snowfall."

"Wow, Tigerclaw," Goldenpaw meowed. "You're really smart."

I glanced at her before heading out of camp, the other five not far behind me.

When we came to Fourtrees, I beckoned the two apprentices over, glowing at the displeased look on Lionheart's face.

"See that rabbit over there?" Frostpaw and Goldenpaw nodded. "Try and catch it. What should you remember when hunting a rabbit?"

"Don't try to outrun it, because it is faster than me," Frostpaw replied immediately. "I need to sneak up on it and jump."

"Correct," I told her. "Now mind you, keep your tail out of sight! It's swinging in the air!"

Frostpaw quickly put her tail down—and the rabbit scampered away.

"I'll get it!" Goldenpaw gave chase to the escaping rabbit.

"No!" Lionheart called after her. "You won't catch it!"

Whitestorm kept shooting me glances as if he wanted to talk more about Thistleclaw's death.

Stonepelt was watching a crow in the sky.

I wanted to cry. The first hunting patrol I get to lead, and it was falling apart in disaster.

_No_. It would not go that way.

I raced after Goldenpaw's disappearing figure. My strong muscles allowed me to run fast enough to catch up with her easily—and then I raced past her after the rabbit.

It started to slow, and I hid myself in tall grass. The rabbit was looking around, and I thanked StarClan that my fur blended in with the grass and undergrowth.

One…two…three…jump! I leaped out of the grass and pounced on the rabbit, biting its neck. It went limp. I picked up the prey and padded back to the patrol. Stonepelt had a vole in his jaws.

"Wow, Tigerclaw," Lionheart meowed, with a hint of surprise in his voice. "You outran a rabbit."

My words muffled by the prey in my mouth, I mumbled, "Mmm-hmm."

Goldenpaw looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry, Tigerclaw. I knew I wasn't supposed to chase it, but—"

"Nvvv mnndd." I set the rabbit on the ground. "Never mind. We got it anyways, so just never chase a rabbit again."

"You caught it," the golden-furred apprentice meowed reproachfully.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, let's get more prey or the next thing I hear out of Bluefur's mouth will be, "Back to apprentice duties for you.""

*

We came back into camp, laden with a rabbit, a vole, two mice—courtesy of me—and a thrush.

"Wow," Bluefur meowed appreciatively to me as the prey was added to the fresh-kill pile. "Look at all this."

"The patrol went well."

"For a young warrior, you have the skills of one much more experienced than many new warriors."

I smirked inside. "Thank you, Bluefur."

Bluefur nodded and went to join Sunstar, carrying my rabbit and a mouse.

I had an idea, and crept out of the camp. There was a small hole in the ground—an old rabbit burrow, I supposed—that gave me a view into the camp—the leader's den, to be exact. There I could see Sunstar and Bluefur talking.

"I hear that Tigerclaw outran a rabbit today," Sunstar was meowing.

"You heard right. Goldenpaw was telling every cat she saw."

"Seems like she has a little crush on him," Sunstar purred.

Goldenpaw had a crush on me? She'd never be like Dapplepaw.

"She and her littermates are nearly ready to become warriors," Sunstar commented.

"A few more moons of training would do them good, though," Bluefur told him.

"Petalfur's kits are ready to become apprentices," Sunstar mused. "Do you have any idea who their mentors should be?"

This was getting boring.

"You're asking me?" Bluefur seemed startled.

"You are my deputy. I value your opinion."

"I—I don't know. Maybe Redtail? He's been a warrior almost as long as Lionheart, and Lionheart has Goldenpaw," Bluefur meowed.

"He would be good. Perhaps Tigerclaw as well?"

Hmm…interesting. I pricked my ears so I could hear better.

"I don't know, Sunstar. He's too new a warrior."

"Maybe so," my leader sighed. "But when I am gone, Bluefur, he will make an excellent deputy for you. Already he shows skills equal to many of our senior warriors."

That was what I wanted to hear. I crept away and came back into camp. So Sunstar thought I would make a good deputy? I would just have to wait for him to die…then Bluefur would make me her deputy, and I would become leader after her. Then my plans could be carried out.

I saw Goldenpaw sunning herself by the apprentices' den. I padded over to her. "Goldenpaw," I asked, "do you know how many lives Sunstar has left?"

She looked shocked. "Why?"

"I heard—" I thought wildly. "I heard that there's greencough in ShadowClan and if it comes here, Sunstar could die."

"Um…I heard that he has two, Featherwhisker said so."

Two. Perfect. "Thanks."

"No problem."

*

**Again, sorry for the late update! Keep guessing at the titles! **

**~LenzieKat**


	17. Darkness Shining

**Yeah, I know, I haven't updated in nearly a month! I've been on vacation for a week.**

**Well, I'm SO HAPPY with all the reviews I have on this story. 244! AMAZING!**

**Thanks to all of my reviewers. You guys are awesome!**

_**~*!*~**_

ThunderClan

Leader—**Sunstar—ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy—**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers**

Warriors—

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom (apprentice, Sparrowpaw)**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom (apprentice, Frostpaw)**

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Petalfur—a gray tabby she-cat with green eyes and white splashes on her pelt **

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle like a lion's mane (apprentice, Goldenpaw)**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail (apprentice, Brindlepaw)**

**Runningwind—a swift tabby tom**

**Whitestorm—a white tom with amber eyes (apprentice, Willowpaw)**

**Tigerclaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes (apprentice, Darkpaw)**

Queens—

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat (mother of Longkit, Mousekit, and Spottedkit)**

Apprentices—

**Frostpaw—a beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes**

**Goldenpaw—pale ginger she-cat**

**Sparrowpaw—brown tabby tom with a white chest, white paws, and a white-tipped tail**

**Darkpaw—sleek dark gray and black tabby tom with green eyes**

**Willowpaw—very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes**

**Brindlepaw—pretty, dappled gray tabby she-cat with green eyes**

Elders—

**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom**

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

**Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; oldest cat in ThunderClan**

_**~*!*~**_

**Tigerclaw's POV**

I padded into Sunstar's den. He had called me, something important, he had told me.

"Tigerclaw!" came Sunstar's voice.

I saw my leader nestled comfortably on the ground. I dipped my head respectfully, then sat down in front of him. I noticed he was growing weaker and frailer, which pleased me. He would be easy to dispose of.

"You wanted me, Sunstar?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered. "It is time for you to take an apprentice."

That stunned me. "But—but I've only been a warrior for three moons!"

"I know." He paused. "Bluefur thinks you are much too young for this job, but since you became an apprentice yourself, you have shown courage and skill that surpasses even me sometimes."

Then surely it would be easy for me to dispose of you and become deputy.

"T—_thank you_, Sunstar," I meowed, feigning surprise and happiness, "but I am not sure if I am ready for this."

He was an idiot if he did not realize I was completely lying.

"I know you are ready," my leader assured me.

"Who will I mentor?"

"Darkkit."

I nodded.

"You may go."

I dipped my head and hurried out of the den, heading for the nursery. I wanted to see what Darkkit was like, and if he would be an apprentice I could trust, or have to dispose of.

I saw Petalfur's three kits play-fighting. Darkkit was bigger and stronger than his two sisters—darker and sleeker as well. He tackled Brindlekit and Willowkit easily.

"Ow, Darkkit, stop it!" Willowkit squealed.

"I'm not Darkkit, I'm Darkstar, leader of all the Clans!" Darkkit squealed.

Hmm, interesting.

Petalfur came out of the nursery and shook her head at the sight of her kits. "You three are going to be apprentices soon, but the Clan won't believe it if you keep acting like this."

Darkkit straightened up. "I'm going to be the best leader the Clan has ever had!"

Petalfur licked his head. "Yes, dear, but you're going to have to become a warrior, not to mention an apprentice, first, before you even think about becoming a leader."

Brindlekit laughed. "Yeah, Darkkit."

Darkkit turned around to face his sister, rage burning in his eyes. "Stop it! When I'm leader I'm going to exile you!"

"Darkkit!" Petalfur cuffed the young tom's ear.

I decided to intervene. Leaning down by Darkkit, I whispered, "You know, it is best not to reveal your plans before you become leader, otherwise your cats may turn against you."

Darkkit seemed stunned. He looked at me and meowed, "Really?"

"Why would I lie?"

Darkkit's eyes narrowed, and he meowed proudly, "I'm going to be an apprentice tomorrow."

"Yes, I know. Now, why don't you go apologize to your littermates and regain their trust? Off you go."

A wide-eyed Darkkit nodded and ran over to the other two kits.

Petalfur came over to me and jerked her head towards Darkkit. "He's quite ambitious for a kit. Sometimes I worry about him." She sighed. "I only hope that his mentor will teach him respect for the warrior code and all who follow it, and that power is not always the answer."

"Yes, there are many cats in the Clan who could train him properly," I mused.

A ripping sound came from inside the nursery, and Petalfur groaned and hurried inside. I heard her yell, "You naughty kits! What have I told you about ripping holes in the nursery wall?"

I chuckled and left to do some hunting.

_**~*!*~**_

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

I padded over to the Highrock, where Sunstar was sitting, with Bluefur behind him, and Petalfur sitting with her three kits, their fur neatly groomed.

Sunstar cleared his throat. "Today we have three new apprentices to name. It is good, because by naming apprentices, we show the other Clans that we remain strong. Brindlekit, Willowkit, Darkkit." Sunstar beckoned them up with his tail. "Willowkit, from now on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Willowpaw."

Willowpaw beamed.

"Redtail, your time for your first apprentice is long overdue. I trust you to pass on your courage and intelligence to Willowpaw and make her into a fine warrior of ThunderClan."

Redtail touched noses with Willowpaw, and they climbed down from the Highrock.

Sunstar continued. "Brindlekit, from now on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Brindlepaw."

I knew who Brindlepaw's mentor would be. Whitestorm had talked about nothing else.

"Whitestorm, you too are ready for your first apprentice. I know you will train Brindlepaw with all your smarts and strength until she is ready to become a warrior.

Whitestorm was almost as excited as his apprentice when they touched noses.

"Darkkit," Sunstar meowed. I felt a shiver of anticipation.

"Darkkit, from now on until you receive your warrior name you shall be known as Darkpaw."

Darkpaw grinned widely.

"Tigerclaw, you are young, but your skills surpass many. I entrust Darkpaw's training to you, and I know you will pass on to him your skill and courage."

Darkpaw's eyes lit up as he and I touched noses. "_You're _my mentor? Wow!" he whispered.

He followed me off the Highrock, and then bombarded me with questions.

"Are we going to see the territory? Will you teach me to hunt? Will we go—"

"Silence!" I meowed. ""Yes, we are going to see the territory. Hunting will come later."

We headed out of the camp. "We're going to go to the RiverClan border," I told Darkpaw. "What do you know of RiverClan and their territory?"

"They live by the river. Their main source of food is fish. They are the only Clan that swims and fishes, and their leader is Crookedstar."

"Good." As we padded along to the border, I noticed the hill of rocks. I pointed it out to Darkpaw. "You see that?"

"Yeah."

"That is Sunningrocks. It used to be an island in the river, and RiverClan claimed it, as they were the only cats who could swim to it. Later, though, the water receded, and Sunningrocks was on ThunderClan territory. ThunderClan claimed it, and RiverClan have been fighting for it ever since."

"Cool," Darkpaw meowed. "But shouldn't ThunderClan just give Sunningrocks to RiverClan and end all this fighting?"

I whirled around to face him. "And let RiverClan think we are mice and they can get anything from us?"

"Well…how else are we too keep them away?"

"Simple. Every time they try to take Sunningrocks, kill them."

"Kill them? I thought it was not honorable to kill."

"If a cat is invading your territory or threatening you in anyway, kill them. Dispose of them. Or run them out. If you are planning something and an enemy cat overhears, kill them."

"Even if it's a kit or an elder?" Darkpaw asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"But the warrior code says—"

"Oh, the warrior code says! Sometimes the warrior code is _wrong_. Do you understand?"

Darkpaw cocked his head to the side, apparently in deep thought. "Yes," he meowed after a minute. "I understand. So what do we do about kittypets and loners and rogues?"

"Kittypets are soft! If you see a kittypet straying away from it nest, then kill it. It won't fight back. It will probably run away from you. Chase it, and kill it. Unless your leader tells you otherwise."

Darkpaw nodded. "And if I see a loner or a rogue?"

I thought. "Pretty much the same. If your leader tells you to spare it, obey. If not, see what it wants. Decide whether to spare it or kill it."

Darkpaw's eyes glinted, and I wondered whether I should be telling him all this so soon.

Darkpaw closed his eyes briefly and then opened them. "I smell a strange cat! I think it's a rogue!"

That grabbed my attention. I opened my jaws and drew in the air. "You're right, Darkpaw. There's a cat in the territory that shouldn't be here. Come on."

I followed the scent closer to Twolegplace, and Darkpaw and I stopped when we saw a dark ginger tom padding through the trees.

"Stay low," I meowed to Darkpaw. "Watch me handle this."

I stalked up to the tom—who didn't realize I was behind him. I pounced and pinned him down. His green eyes reflected shock as he struggled against me.

"What are you doing, forest cat?" the ginger tom hissed.

"What are _you _doing in this territory, rogue?" I hissed back, digging my claws in his shoulder.

"Just passing through. I have a mate to worry about, you know!" The rogue swatted my face with his paw, snagging my ear and drawing blood.

I snarled and pummeled his stomach with my hind claws.

"Red? Are you here?" A pale gray she-cat emerged from some bushes. "Red, I was beginning to worry, so I—_Red_!"

I was momentarily surprised and this "Red" escaped from under me. I hissed.

"Run, Quince!" Red hissed.

As they escaped, I growled and padded back over to Darkpaw. He was wide-eyed—again. "Why didn't you kill them?" he asked curiously.

"There was really no reason to," I answered. "I could smell milk on the she-cat, and I didn't want to kill a nursing queen."

"Oh…" Darkpaw seemed lost in thought. "Can you teach me some battle moves?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, we haven't even finished exploring the territory yet."

As I padded to the RiverClan border with my apprentice, I was thinking…

…Perhaps Darkpaw could be helpful in my plan to take over the Clans and form TigerClan. He seemed like he would be perfect for any job I might entrust him too.

"Say, Darkpaw," I meowed. "Have you ever wanted to be a leader?"

_**~*!*~**_

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Dapplepaw laid her head on her paws. Images of Tigerclaw kept running through her mind.

Wildpaw and Cloverpaw padded up to her.

"Dapplepaw, you have to stop moping," Cloverpaw meowed. "What's done is done."

_You don't understand!_ Dapplepaw wailed in her mind. _I loved Tigerclaw! I wanted to have his kits! I wanted to be a family! All that's gone!_

Wildpaw sighed. "If you had just listened to me that one night, me and Whitestorm, just listened and left Tigerclaw alone, then we'd probably be back in ShadowClan right now, with warrior names and apprentices?"

Dapplepaw remained silent.

"Come on, Dapplepaw, _talk_ to us!" Wildpaw yowled.

Cloverpaw shook her head. "Let's go, Wildpaw, she's not going to say anything."

The two she-cats left, and a single tear appeared in Dapplepaw's eye.

_**~*!*~**_

**So, how'd ya like it?**

**O.O Poor Darkpaw! He's the victim here!**

**Review!**

**Ciao~**

**~LenzieKat**


	18. The Scarlet Sparrow

**I AM SORRYZ! My computer commited suicide and so I had to wait to get a new one. **

**To make up for it, this is the longest chapter I have ever written. 5,001 words.**

**Please help me get 300 reviews on this! Pweases?**

**Thanks to all my reviewers who reviewed even when others thought I had deserted them forever.**

**Enjoy!**

Leader—**Sunstar—ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes**

Deputy—**Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers (apprentice, Spottedpaw)**

Warriors—

**Patchpelt—a black and white tom (apprentice, Sparrowpaw)**

**Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail**

**Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom **

**Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Petalfur—a gray tabby she-cat with green eyes and white splashes on her pelt**

**Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle like a lion's mane**

**Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail (apprentice, Willowpaw)**

**Runningwind—a swift tabby tom**

**Whitestorm—a white tom with amber eyes (apprentice, Brindlepaw)**

**Tigerclaw—a dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws and amber eyes (apprentice, Darkpaw)**

**Goldenflower—a pale ginger she-cat**

**Frostfur—a beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes**

Queens—

**Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat (mother of Longkit and Mousekit)**

Apprentices—

**Sparrowpaw—brown tabby tom with a white chest, white paws, and a white-tipped tail**

**Darkpaw—sleek dark gray and black tabby tom with green eyes**

**Willowpaw—very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes**

**Brindlepaw—pretty, dappled gray tabby she-cat with green eyes**

**Spottedpaw—beautiful dark tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes with a white chest, white paws, white muzzle, and a black-tipped tail**

Elders—

**Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom**

**One-eye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye, virtually blind and deaf**

**Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches**

**Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears**

_***~!~***_

"Come on. Attack me."

Darkpaw cocked his head to one side. The he leaped at my neck.

I easily kicked him in the belly and sent him sprawling in the dust. "Not good enough! How many times have I _told _you, don't waste time by planning half the battle in your head!"  
Darkpaw gritted his teeth and got back on his paws. He didn't wait and lunged at me again.

I raised a paw and flung him away. "You've been my apprentice for three moons. I've done my best to make you into the best warrior I can, but you just keep failing at everything over and over again! Now, Petalfur's kits' apprentice ceremonies are one moon from now. _If _you get your warrior name by then, I might be able to pull some strings and get you Longkit as your apprentice. But _only _if you prove yourself to Sunstar!"

Darkpaw sighed. "Can I try again, Tigerclaw? I know I can do it!" He raked his claws furiously across the ground. "I have the best mentor ever! I should be better than this!"

"Yes, you should. Now, attack me!"

Darkpaw took a deep breath and then sprinted behind me. While I turned around to claw him, he leaped on my back and then covered my eyes with his paws.

Blindly, I tried to throw him off, but he held on and dug the tips of his claws into the soft skin around my eyes.

"Enough!" I rolled over and nearly squashed him. "That was good," I panted. "Much better."

Darkpaw's eyes glowed. "Thanks! I told you I could do it!"

"Now, you want to impress Sunstar and be a warrior, right?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Then let's go hunting. If we bring back loads of prey, maybe, just maybe, Sunstar will be _so _impressed that he'll let you go to the Gathering tomorrow."

"But…" Darkpaw seemed to be thinking. _Why did StarClan give me such an idiot for an apprentice?_

"But it's barely newleaf," he finally meowed. "Most of the prey is still hiding in their burrows."

"That's why if we bring back a _lot _of prey," I meowed slowly, "Sunstar will be really _happy_, because he will get to feed his _Clan_. Understand?"

"Don't talk to me as if I'm a kit!"

"Then stop acting like one!"

"I'm not!"

"Then since you're not acting like a kit, and you're acting like an apprentice, go hunt!" I yowled exasperatedly. "That means you catch prey, like mice and voles and squirrels!"

"I know how to hunt!" Darkpaw mewed indignantly.

"Good. Now let's go hunt."

*

After we finished hunting, we headed back to camp.

"This still isn't enough," Darkpaw meowed sullenly through the two mice and thrush he carried.

I set down my squirrel and vole. "You're right."

"So what do we do?"

"Simple. Cheat."

"What?"

I glanced at the entrance to the camp, where Whitestorm sat guard. "We cheat. Wait here."

I padded over to the gorse tunnel.

"Hi, Tigerclaw," Whitestorm meowed as I went by. "Where's Darkpaw?"

"Oh, he's back at the Owl Tree," I lied casually. "I came to get some prey so we could practice hunting."

"Hmm?" Whitestorm meowed absently, his eyes focused on a sparrow fluttering overhead. "Oh, okay. Sure. You do that."

I smirked as I ran over to the fresh-kill pile. Making sure no one was looking, I grabbed a chaffinch, a starling, and a shrew.

"Wow!" Darkpaw exclaimed as I dropped the new prey on the ground.

"Yeah, wow. Now you'll bring this back into camp, and it'll look like you caught all this."

"But…the other warriors' scents are still on them." Darkpaw poked the chaffinch and shrew. "Halftail caught these." He flicked his tail at the starling. "And Runningwind caught this."

"I have a solution for that. Roll on them."

"Huh?"

"Roll on the prey. Cover it with your scent. Then we'll make sure Sunstar sees you with all your prey. I'll tell him I sent you on a hunting assessment." I was pleased with my plan.

"That's lying," Darkpaw observed.

"Yes, but when you want something, you do what you must to get it. Kill, steal, cheat…Do you want to impress Sunstar or don't you?"

"Of course!"

"Now roll on that prey!"

Darkpaw did so, and soon the scents of Halftail and Runningwind were completely gone and you couldn't tell that any cat but Darkpaw had caught all six pieces of prey.

_I might make a good warrior out of him yet_, I thought. _Maybe I'll get a future deputy out of him too_.

Darkpaw carried the stolen prey in his jaws, and bent his chin to his chest so he could carry his thrush. I carried his two mice and my squirrel and vole.

"Amazing, Tigerclaw!" Stonepelt commented as Darkpaw and I padded into camp loaded with prey. "We haven't seen prey like that since last greenleaf."

I nodded to the senior warrior, who gave the prey an approving glance and left.

I nudged Darkpaw and pointed with my tail at Sunstar, who was coming over to us.

"Tigerclaw. Did you and your apprentice catch all this?" the golden leader asked.

I set down the prey I'd been carrying. "Actually, Sunstar, I only caught the squirrel and vole. Darkpaw caught the rest. I sent him on a hunting assessment and he did brilliantly."

"Really?" Sunstar gave Darkpaw an admiring look. "Well, usually mentors ask me before they send their apprentices on a hunting assessment so they earn their warrior names, but it seems your mentor gave you one without my knowledge. Well, if he was trying to prove a point, he did. I think it's high time you became a warrior, Darkpaw. What do you say?"

"That would be great!" Darkpaw told him. Then, regaining his composure, he added, "I mean, if you think so, Sunstar."

Sunstar purred with amusement. "Then we'll hold your warrior ceremony today, at dusk. Then tomorrow, you can go to the Gathering."

Darkpaw nodded and dipped his head in respect as the leader padded away; then he looked at me. "Did you hear that, Tigerclaw? Cheating works!"

"Shut up!" I cuffed him on the ear. "ShadowClan could probably hear that. Do you want every cat in the Clan to know that you _cheated _to get your warrior name?"

Darkpaw smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Congratulations, Darkpaw!" Patchpelt came over with Goldenflower and Sparrowpaw trailing behind him. "Sunstar told me the good news. How would you like to go on one last patrol as an apprentice? We're going to the RiverClan border."

"Sure!" Darkpaw glanced at me. "Can we?"

I shrugged. "You're the one who is going to be the warrior. You decide."

"Okay." Darkpaw turned to Patchpelt. "Let's go!"

_Timetimetimetimetimetime_

As we padded through the trees, Darkpaw stopped me with his tail. I growled at him and almost clawed the fox-brain's ears off, until he whispered, "Can I talk to you?"

The rest of the patrol went on without noticing two of its party was missing.

I turned to Darkpaw. "What is it?"

"Do you see Sparrowpaw?"

Yes, I saw Sparrowpaw. Accident-prone, sickness-prone Sparrowpaw, always limping from the monster that nearly killed him, nose always glistening from the whitecough he frequently caught, the colds, the fevers, the greencough that hit the Clan last leaf-bare and killed Crowflight **(A/N: Yes, I finally killed off Crowflight! And for good this time! He was just like a sack of muck in this fic, no use to me XD)**. Sparrowpaw, the apprentice who would soon become an elder, given his feeble skills and strength. "Yes. Your point?"

"Well," Darkpaw continued, "I think he's a weakness to the Clan. He doesn't really _do _anything, and he's just a burden. I think we should do the Clan a favor and dispose of him."

"Kill him, you mean? Hmm, yes, I think you're right. Good observation, Darkpaw, good idea. Now, how do you think we should…dispose of him?"

"Well," Darkpaw cocked his head to one side, always a sign that he was thinking hard. "I could lure him over to Snakerocks, telling him I found some great prey, and then you can jump out from a hiding spot at him and…finish…him."

"Me? You want my claws to be bloodied? Oh no, Darkpaw, this plan was your brilliant idea. You must be the one to, as you say, finish poor, pitiful Sparrowpaw."

"You want me to kill him?"

"Of course, Darkpaw. It is an honor to cut away weakness, to make your Clan stronger. This is an opportunity. _You _will be the one to unsheathe your claws, to cut into his throat and feel his blood bathing you in its glory, to hear his last, gasping breaths before his eyes glaze over, to see the life fade from his body. _You _will add another to the ranks of StarClan, those worthless fools, to make another star appear in Silverpelt, to watch your Clan weep for their loss yet grow stronger because of it. _You _will kill Sparrowpaw."

Darkpaw had been listening to my preaching wide-eyed, and I saw something change in him, saw that hesitation and small trickle of mercy fade away, saw him become the warrior I wanted him to be. "I understand now," he meowed softly, as if to himself. Then he lifted his head and locked eyes with me. "I understand now," he meowed louder. "Nothing now can stand in the way off Sparrowpaw's death, for I will do anything to strengthen my Clan, and rid it of this weakness."

I nodded as if approving a battle move. "Good."

"Plus," Darkpaw added, "Sparrowpaw's really annoying. I'll be glad to have him gone."

I cuffed him over the ear again, this time harder.

*

We caught up to the patrol, where Patchpelt looked at us crossly. "Where have you two been?"

"Darkpaw thought he smelled a rogue," I meowed curtly. "It turned out just to be a kittypet, probably running back to its Twolegs by now."

"Tigerclaw, you've trained Darkpaw so well!" Goldenflower meowed.

I rolled my eyes. Ever since she had become a warrior, she had claimed a nest beside me and had kept trying to get us assigned to patrols together. When I had overheard Sunstar all those moons ago comment that she had a small crush on me, he was wrong. It was more of an obsession. Sometimes I wondered if I should just make her my mate, get her stuck in the nursery with squalling kits, and leave it at that.

Sparrowpaw caused a slight distraction by sneezing, and Patchpelt bent over him worriedly. "Are you okay? Should we go back and get Featherwhisker and Spottedpaw to give you some feverfew?"

Darkpaw gave me a look that said, _"See what I mean?"_

I nodded to let him know that I agreed.

"Yeah," Sparrowpaw mewed. "Some feverfew would be great."

"Great StarClan!" Patchpelt sighed. "I think you caught whitecough _again_. Everyone, let's get back to camp before this whitecough turns into greencough."

Sparrowpaw gave his mentor an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Goldenflower nudged her brother. "Sunstar should name you Sparrowcough, or Sparrowsneeze, or something like that!" She glanced at me hopefully. "What do you think, Tigerclaw?"

"Maybe he should be named Sparrowleavemealoneyoucrazyshe-cat," I muttered under my breath.

*

We trudged back into camp, where Spottedpaw, supposedly sensing that there was a sick cat around, scrambled out of the medicine den and came over to us. "Is Sparrowpaw sick again?" she fretted. "Did he go out on that patrol? Patchpelt, I _told _you not to take him!"

Patchpelt looked at his paws and mumbled something about "my apprentice, my problem".

Spottedpaw let out a furious huff.

"Spottedpaw, the ever-gentle medicine cat," Darkpaw meowed sarcastically.

I cuffed him over the ear a third time.

Featherwhisker came out of the den carrying feverfew and borage. Setting them down, he meowed, "Spottedpaw, I need you to go make Sparrowpaw a nest in the den."

Spottedpaw looked slightly put out, then she brightened when Featherwhisker added, "Then take Tawnyspots a poultice of juniper berries and chamomile. He's not been feeling too well lately."

Spottedpaw nodded and rushed off.

That she-cat had talent. Sunstar had allowed her to become an apprentice a moon early, because Featherwhisker was getting old and Spottedpaw's knowledge of herbs and medicine was almost as good as his, the silvery medicine cat told us.

How a queen as plain as Speckletail gave birth to a she-cat so beautiful, I'll never know. Too bad medicine cats can't have mates.

I noticed then that it was getting dark, and Sunstar was sitting on the Highrock, about to call the Clan together for Darkpaw's warrior ceremony. Bluefur sat near him, a resentful look in her eyes. I wondered what happened.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Darkpaw ran over to where the golden leader sat. I followed and settled near the base of the large boulder.

The Clan was coming over with curious looks on their faces.

"Tigerclaw?" Willowpaw asked tentatively from behind me. "Why is Darkpaw up there?"

"Warrior ceremony," I growled. "Isn't it obvious? Now go sit with your sister, you're not getting your name yet."

Looking a bit miffed, Willowpaw left me alone.

"Darkpaw," Sunstar beckoned his tail, indicating for Darkpaw to come up. When he did, the leader called up to the sky, "I, Sunstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as warrior in his turn. Darkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

I waited to see what Darkpaw would say.

Without any hesitation, Darkpaw meowed smoothly, "Of course I do."

Convincing, very convincing.

"Then by the powers of StarClan," Sunstar declared, "I give you your warrior name. Darkpaw, from now on you shall be known as Darkstripe. StarClan honors your strength and your skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" He rested his muzzle on Darkstripe's head, and Darkstripe in return licked his shoulder.

I began the chant. "Darkstripe! Darkstripe!"

Petalfur, Willowpaw, and Brindlepaw took it up next. "Darkstripe! Darkstripe!"

Soon, the whole Clan was chanting my former apprentice's new name, and the new warrior himself came down to greet me as not my apprentice, but as my supporter.

"I saw you smirking when Sunstar mentioned your "skills"," I commented. "Did that have anything to do with your so-called skills in hunting?"

"Maybe," Darkstripe answered. "If you consider my skills so-called. I myself think that without cheating, I am quite good at hunting."

"Really?" I scoffed.

"You taught me well."

"Congratulations, Darkstripe!" Petalfur interrupted our conversation to nuzzle her son on the head. "I'm so proud of you!"

Darkstripe scowled and wriggled away from his mother. "Yes, thank you. Now may I please talk to Tigerclaw in peace?"

"But you have to sit your vigil now!" Petalfur meowed crossly. "You have to be silent all night, and guard the entrance to the camp."

Darkstripe hissed and padded over to the gorse tunnel.

Petalfur sighed. "What happened to my little cheeky kit?"

"He listened to me," I muttered. Louder, I meowed, "Excuse me, Petalfur, I need to speak with Darkstripe." Leaving the nostalgic queen behind, I followed my former apprentice over to where he was standing guard.

Darkstripe glanced at me and nodded to acknowledge my presence.

"You can talk. I won't turn you into StarClan."

"Thanks." Darkstripe breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think I could stand going a whole night without talking. So? About Sparrowpaw?"

"Tomorrow," I whispered out of the corner of my mouth. "Noon. I lure Sparrowpaw to Snakerocks. You jump out and slit his throat."

"I'll try and make it look like he was bitten by an adder," Darkstripe promised.

"Good." Amused, I added, "_Now_ you can't talk. I'm going to sleep."

"But—"

"No talking during your vigil, Darkstripe. Remember, StarClan is watching you."

*~!~*

I opened my eyes. It was still dark, yet the moon was low in the sky and I knew dawn was on the way.

I padded over to where Darkstripe was huddled and covered in a thin layer of snow.

He gazed at me reproachfully yet didn't say anything.

"You can talk now; your vigil's over."

Darkstripe hissed. "That was _torture_! It was so cold and I couldn't even warm myself in my den! I had to stay out here and guard the stupid Clan!"

"The Clan may be stupid now, but when I lead it, it will be the best Clan that has ever walked the forest."

"That's the Clan I look forward to being deputy for." Darkstripe thought for a moment. "You _are _going to pick me as deputy, right?"

"Oh, please," I hissed scornfully. "Who else would I choose? Patchpelt, Halftail, and Stonepelt are nearly ready to become elders, Dappletail and Petalfur are more queen than warrior, Lionheart, Redtail, and Whitestorm are all too soft, and Goldenflower and Frostfur too young. I only trust you in this Clan, you and Longkit if he turns out right."

Who else would I choose? Dapplepaw, if she were still alive. She was the one who gave me the idea of the four Clans uniting, she deserved to be leader along with me, but she would never, and it was all Thistleclaw's fault. The name made my eyes narrow, claws sink into the ground, mind whirl with rage.

"Anyway," I hissed. "At sunhigh, Sparrowpaw dies."

"What?"

For a second I panicked. Then I composed myself and turned around to look into the confused face of Whitestorm.

"What did you say, Whitestorm?" I asked coolly.

The white warrior's face grew confused. "I asked, What did you say? It sounded like you said something about Sparrowpaw dying."

"What?" I put a look of shock on my face. "I only said, 'At sunhigh, the sparrows will fly.' Darkstripe and I are going on a hunting patrol at sunhigh, and I was telling him that at sunhigh, the sparrows are all going to be flying, perfect for hunting."

"Oh." Whitestorm still seemed confused. "I just thought you said—" He shook his head. "Never mind."

"Congratulations on making warrior, Darkstripe," he mewed as he padded away.

"Close call," Darkstripe meowed. "Do you think we should kill him too?"

"No," I told him, thinking still of Whitestorm as my foster brother. "Quite unnecessary." And then I remembered telling him about how I had killed Thistleclaw, and I pictured him linking me to Sparrowpaw's untimely death…I shook the image from my head. Whitestorm was too stupid to figure that out.

"No," I told Darkstripe again. "Unless, of course, he suspects anything."

Darkstripe nodded, and I wondered if he knew that Whitestorm and I had been like brothers until Dapplepaw had been killed.

"Now I'm going to ask Sunstar if it's all right if we go on a hunting patrol at sunhigh, and you go make friends with Sparrowpaw."

~~~/\~~~~\o/~~~

Darkstripe watched Tigerclaw padding over to Sunstar's den and then looked over at Sparrowpaw, eating a squirrel in the shade of a bush.

Sparrowpaw looked up in surprise as Darkstripe sat down in front of him. "H-hello, Darkstripe," Sparrowpaw stammered. "Congratulations on get—" He broke off in a bought of coughing, and Darkstripe hissed and leapt away from the flying spit.

"Sorry," the brown tabby apprentice sniffed. "Anyway, congratulations on getting your name." He wiped his glistening nose with his paw.

"Yeah, thanks." Darkstripe searched wildly in his mind for something to say. "Um…did you catch that squirrel?"

"What? This? Oh, no, Patchpelt did. I can't hunt anymore because I keep sneezing on the prey." Sparrowpaw sighed sadly.

Darkstripe wondered why no other cat had thought about killing Sparrowpaw before. He was such a burden to the clan.

"Well," he ventured. "You must miss hunting." Lame.

"Yeah, I guess. Well, at least I still get to fight." Sparrowpaw shrugged. "I'll make up for what I don't catch in prey by fighting better than any cat in the clan! I can fight on my hind paws!" Sparrowpaw looked pleased. "Do you want to see?"

"Whatever," Darkstripe muttered. What was taking Tigerclaw so long?

Sparrowpaw pushed himself up onto his hind paws, wobbly for a second, and then fell.

"Nice," Darkstripe commented sarcastically.

"I think I hurt my paw."

Darkstripe couldn't wait to kill this cat.

"Why wasn't it your neck?" Darkstripe hissed under his breath. Louder, he meowed, "I think if you practice, you can be such a great hunter that the Clan won't mind that you sneeze on the prey," he lied. "Maybe you should go hunting around Snakerocks. Prey's rich there."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"That's a great idea! I will, then." Sparrowpaw looked happy.

"Darkstripe!" Tigerclaw's voice interrupted them. "Time for your first hunting patrol as a warrior."

"Bye, Darkstripe!" Sparrowpaw mewed.

"Good riddance," Darkstripe meowed as the tabby apprentice finished his squirrel and scampered away.

"Bad news," Tigerclaw meowed. "Sunstar told me to take Goldenflower along too."

"I'll kill her too, if you like," Darkstripe offered. "I know how much you hate her."

Tigerclaw seemed amused. "No thanks. Like Whitestorm, quite unnecessary.

"Quite unnecessary."

!#$%&

"…the way you caught that mouse was _amazing_, it's like you were born to hunt…"

Goldenflower's endless chatter had been buzzing in Darkstripe's ears for the past few minutes.

Darkstripe figured Sparrowpaw would be at Snakerocks by now. "Tigerclaw?" he meowed.

"Yes?"

"I smell rabbit—over there." Darkstripe waved his tail in the direction opposite Snakerocks. "Is it okay if I go after it?"

"Oh, yes, go!" Goldenflower meowed happily. "Tigerclaw and I will be fine by ourselves! Go, go!"

Tigerclaw hissed.

Darkstripe dipped his head and raced off in the direction he had pointed to. Then, when he was sure he was out of Goldenflower's sight, he changed course and bounded off to where he knew Sparrowpaw would be trying out his pitiful hunting skills.

Before he reached the adder-infested place, he stopped and found a hole in the ground that smelled of snake. The snake seemed to be gone, so Darkstripe rolled in it and covered himself with snake scent.

Creeping through the trees, he spotted Sparrowpaw in the hunters' crouch, in front of what seemed to be a rabbit burrow.

Sparrowpaw pounced; the rabbit burst out and hopped away.

"Fox dung!" the apprentice cursed, sneezing as the fur tickled his nose.

Darkstripe made his appearance.

"Darkstripe!" Sparrowpaw meowed as he saw him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were on a hunting patrol—oh, and you smell funny. Like snake or something."

Darkstripe padded over to the small cat. "That's not a very nice thing to say."

"I, uh, sorry?" Sparrowpaw seemed bewildered by Darkstripe's strange behavior, especially since the dark warrior had begun circling him.

"Sorry catches no prey," meowed Darkstripe, and then he pounced, pounced on Sparrowpaw, pinning him to the ground, claws digging into his throat.

"Darkstripe!" Sparrowpaw mewed, trying to kick him off.

"You'll thank me for this, someday, Sparrowpaw," Darkstripe hissed. "When you realize what a burden you were to the Clan. You'll be glad I killed you."

"K-killed me?" Sparrowpaw choked, trying to breathe as Darkstripe pressed down on his neck. "But I thought we were friends!"

"Friends? What a silly kit thought."

"P-please s-stop!" the apprentice spluttered. "I'll never s-see my mother a-again!"

"Not my problem," Darkstripe muttered. He raised a paw, unsheathing his claws, and brought them down on Sparrowpaw's throat, slicing it open, staining it dark scarlet.

Sparrowpaw spluttered and choked some more, blood bubbling in his throat, and then he was still.

Darkstripe looked at the unmoving body with interest, and then make two small holes above the slit in Sparrowpaw's neck, and then patted down the fur around it, making it seem as if his was caused by an adder.

Then he forced his fur to bristle, forced a fearful look to come into his face, and he ran back to where Tigerclaw and Goldenflower were hunting.

"Sparrowpaw!" he burst out when they saw him.

"What?" To any outside cat, Tigerclaw would have seemed genuinely alarmed. "What? What happened to Sparrowpaw?"

"Dead!" Darkstripe gasped.

"What? Huh? WHAT?" Goldenflower meowed.

"Slow down, Darkstripe," Tigerclaw soothed.

"I was chasing the rabbit—and then I smelled blood—led me to Snakerocks—saw Sparrowpaw bitten by an _adder_—DEAD!"

"Show me," Tigerclaw commanded.

Darkstripe raced off, Tigerclaw following, Goldenflower behind him.

Darkstripe slowed as they reached Snakerocks, but Goldenflower ran ahead, letting out a howl of grief as she saw her brother lying in a pool of blood.

"Good work," Tigerclaw whispered in Darkstripe's ear.

"Thanks," Darkstripe whispered back. "It was my pleasure."

La la la la la la…

Sunstar sighed as he paced around Sparrowpaw's body. "I can't believe this happened."

"I should have been watching him," Patchpelt meowed sadly. "He was my apprentice."

Petalfur wailed. "My poor son! He wanted to become a warrior so badly; he'd dreamed about it ever since he was a kit! My fault!"

Sunstar quieted the queen. "It was not anyone's fault. StarClan must have willed this."

"Or I willed it," Darkstripe whispered to Tigerclaw.

"Sunstar," Patchpelt meowed. "I wish to join the elders now. I am getting too old to train warriors and fight for the Clan."

Sunstar nodded. "You may. You have served this Clan well. I know Sparrowpaw would be proud of you."

Darkstripe turned to Tigerclaw. "Do you think any of the Clan suspect us?"

"Of course not," Tigerclaw meowed curtly.

"I can't wait for tonight," Darkstripe meowed excitedly. "My first Gathering as a warrior!"

Do re mi fa so la ti do!

"And that is all WindClan has for tonight," Harestar finished. "Does ThunderClan have anything to say?"

"Yes," Sunstar began. "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that ThunderClan had made a new warrior, Darkstripe."

Darkstripe raised his head proudly.

"And the bad news…unfortunately, one of our apprentices, Sparrowpaw, was killed by an adder while hunting at Snakerocks."

Darkstripe forced a look of grief onto his face.

"The prey is also running reasonably well for leaf-bare, and ThunderClan, other than Sparrowpaw's untimely death, is doing reasonably well." Sunstar finished and stepped back.

Crookedstar took his place. "RiverClan regrets the loss of our medicine cat, Fishwater. Mudfur is ready to take his place. Leopardfur has also recently become a warrior."

A spotted golden she-cat lifted her chin as her Clanmates praised her.

"Other than that, RiverClan has nothing to report."

"ShadowClan is fine," Raggedstar meowed.

"Then the Gathering is over," Sunstar declared.

As the Clans began to head back to their camps, Bluefur stopped Darkstripe as he was leaving. "I hear you saw Sparrowpaw as he died. Why did you not help him?"

Darkstripe glanced around for Tigerclaw, but the dark tabby had already gone ahead.

"The adder had already bitten him," Darkstripe replied. "There was nothing I _could _do except tell him I was glad I was able to know him and that the Clan would miss him."

"I see." Bluefur sighed. "We are desperately short on apprentices. Once your sisters become warriors, we will have none left."

"Until Longkit and Mousekit turn six moons," Darkstripe reminded her.

"Yes…" Bluefur sighed again. "Congratulations for making warrior, Darkstripe." She padded away, apparently lost in thought.

Darkstripe, meanwhile, ran to catch up with Tigerclaw.

End of de chapter…fa la la la la la la la la la…Dog me down my day apparel…fa la la, la la LA, la la la!

**OH NO! DARKSTRIPE HAS TURNEDED EVILZ! Poor Sparrowpaw! He was so young, and handsome! (quoting Bugs Bunny)**

**Well, he was fun while he was good. *hands out Darkstripe and Tigerclaw voodoo dolls***

**So what do you think should happen between Tigerclaw and Goldenflower? Should Tigerclaw…ick…fall for her? Or just get her stuck in the nursery with kits? (meanie Tigerclaw…)**

**Please review! Help me hit 300! Please! Please! Please! **

**~LenzieKat**


	19. Gone the Sun, Come a Red Dawn

**New chappie! **

**The allegiances had a big change again. I have to skip time now because if I wrote about every second of Tigerstar's incredibly traumatized life, this story would be about 150 chapters long, and kinda boring. But to be kind, and since I'm kinda lazy, I just put down names and no description.**

**Read my AN at the bottom. **

**!#$%**

**ThunderClan**

Leader—**Sunstar**

Deputy—**Bluefur**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker**

**Apprentice, Spottedpaw**

Warriors—

**Halftail**

**Stonepelt**

**Dappletail**

**Petalfur**

**Lionheart**

**Redtail**

**Runningwind**

**Whitestorm**

**Tigerclaw**

**Goldenflower (Apprentice, Mousepaw)**

**Frostfur**

**Darkstripe (Apprentice, Longpaw)**

**Willowpelt**

**Brindleface**

Apprentices—

**Spottedpaw**

**Mousepaw**

**Longpaw**

Elders—

**One-eye**

**Smallear**

**Rosetail**

**Patchpelt**

**~!*!~**

A golden tom padded through the forest, sunlight shining streaming through the leaves onto his pelt.

He dropped into the hunter's crouch, waiting to pounce on a mouse squirming under some leaves.

Suddenly the mouse darted away before the golden cat could blink.

The tom hissed in frustration. What had spooked his kill?

A shadow flitted across the ground in front of the tom, and he turned around.

Nothing was there.

The tom shrugged and continued scenting for prey.

Another scent drifted past the tom's nose and he abandoned his search for prey to follow it. The tom knew he should recognize the scent—it smelled familiar—but the scent was slightly masked by the scent of prey that lingered on the tom's pelt.

Another shadow flickered in the corner of the tom's left eye. He turned and saw a cat he knew very well—and trusted—padding toward him with a sneer on his face.

"I thought you were on the sunhigh patrol." The golden tom meant to say more, but this new cat's sneer confused him.

He noticed that the other cat's claws were unsheathed, and digging into the ground.

The other cat came closer, and a few more words were exchanged before the other cat spit something that frightened the golden tom so much that he could only stay, frozen, while the other cat's words seemed muted, a buzzing in the golden tom's ears.

Suddenly, the other tom lunged for the golden tom's neck.

The golden tom felt a sharp pain; then black haze clouded his vision. He tried to stop the flow of blood coming from his throat, and keep the tugging blackness away.

The other tom laughed, taking pleasure in his victim's death. When the golden tom had stopped breathing, the other tom grabbed the golden tom's body by the scruff and dragged him in the direction of ShadowClan territory.

*****~~~!!!~~~*****

Tigerclaw glanced around to make certain he was not followed. When he neither heard, saw, nor scented any cat, he whispered into the darkness. "Is the trap ready?"

Another voice answered. "Yes."

Darkstripe padded out of the trees, greeting Tigerclaw coolly with a nod. "The scent has been laid, and Sunstar's gullible nose should fall for it."

Tigerclaw laughed. "It better be gullible, if he's to fall for a trail laid with mouse blood."

"I still don't get why _I _had to lay the trail," Darkstripe meowed ruefully, glancing at his blood-stained paws.

Tigerclaw snorted. "What? Did you think I was going to do it?"

Darkstripe grumbled. "I thought you might _help_, at least." He wiped the blood off his paws onto the grass.

Tigerclaw didn't answer and instead inspected the beginnings of the trail which he knew later today would lead to an even bigger pool of blood. Tigerclaw made a mental note to cover that up after the deed had been done.

Darkstripe nodded in approval as Tigerclaw voiced this. "We don't want any cat coming and finding Sunstar's blood mingling with your scent. We might have to kill them too."

"Not _might_ have to. _Would_ have too." The dark tabby narrowed his eyes. "Any cat who finds out must be disposed of immediately."

Darkstripe mewed his agreement. "In a day's time you shall be deputy, and hopefully in another season leader. And, if we are lucky, next greenleaf you shall rule all four Clans."

Tigerclaw nodded, having confided in Darkstripe about the plan to rule all the Clans. **(Next greenleaf *snicker* They weren't betting on Firepaw's arrival, obviously)**

Darkstripe glanced up at the sun. "Nearly sunhigh. Sunstar should be going on that patrol any minute now."

"Get Longpaw in his position," Tigerclaw ordered.

"I still can't tell him?"

"No. Longpaw is still too…misunderstanding. He would see this as a bad thing, not as something that will, in the long run, benefit the Clan. He is not like you, Darkstripe, who sees what a weakness our foolish leader is."

Darkstripe sighed. "I have tried to explain things to him, but I think perhaps you will have to step in and explain better. I can't seem to get through to him."

"Hmm…you are telling me you cannot control your apprentice?"

"No!" Darkstripe seemed flustered. "Longpaw can hunt, and fight…He just has a nervous quality about him. I'm starting to think perhaps he isn't the best choice for an apprentice after all, but I can't get rid of him."

"You've grown fond of him?" Tigerclaw asked with a hint of amusement in his meow.

"Of course not!" Darkstripe protested. "I just mean that if he was to suddenly die, I probably wouldn't get another apprentice for a while."

"That is true," Tigerclaw conceded. "I suppose we'll have to do something to get the nervousness out of poor Longpaw. Until then, let us focus on our plan now. Go get your pitiful apprentice and put him in his position. _Now_."

**~!*!~**

"So I need to bring Sunstar to that rabbit burrow?"

"Yes, Longpaw."

"And then I need to come back to camp to get you?"

"_Yes_, Longpaw." Darkstripe gritted his teeth.

"I thought you were going on the sunhigh patrol."

"Plans changed."

"Why won't you tell me why I need to come with you?" Longpaw persisted in pestering his mentor with questions.

"Because."

"Because _why_?"

Darkstripe sighed and wished Tigerclaw were around. His prayers were answered when Tigerclaw came striding into view.

"Are you questioning your mentor, Longpaw?" The great tabby's voice sounded across the clearing; some cats raised their heads curiously.

Longpaw shuffled his paws on the ground. "No, Tigerclaw, I just wondered why I have to come to get Darkstripe after I show Sunstar the rabbit burrow."

Lies flowed easily from Tigerclaw's tongue. "Well, Longpaw, that's just it. It's a secret. A secret I'm sure you're just dying to find out, and you will find out when you come to get us. Now, if we told you, that would spoil the secret, wouldn't it?"

Longpaw flattened his ears, his great respect for Tigerclaw battling with what he knew was an absurd story. "I do want to know, but I'm fine with spoiling the secret. Please tell me, Darkstripe. Please?"

Darkstripe hissed. "Beat it, kit. Do what we tell you or your belly will go empty tonight. And that's an order from your mentor."

Longpaw's eyes widened, and not wanting to go hungry, he scurried off to the camp entrance, where Sunstar would leave to go hunting.

"Thank StarClan," Darkstripe muttered. "Now let's wait for him to leave and then we will too."

**!#$%**

Longpaw flicked his tail nervously as Sunstar emerged from the gorse tunnel.

"Hello, youngster," Sunstar meowed. "What are you doing?"

"Tigerclaw wanted me to tell you about a rabbit burrow before you go hunting. He said the rabbits are really fat."

"Oh. Well, then, where is it?"

"Over by the ShadowClan border. But Darkstripe wanted me to show it to you, to practice my tracking skills. Is that okay?"

"Of course. I always like a good training session. Lead the way, Longpaw."

**~!*!~**

"It should be over here," Longpaw mewed nervously as he and his leader approached the place where the rabbit burrow was.

Sunstar opened his jaws and drew in air. "Ah, I can smell it. Thank you, young one. Now, would you like to hunt with me?"

Longpaw briefly considered his choices. On one paw, it was an honor to be able to hunt with the Clan leader. On the other paw, Longpaw had gotten the impression that Darkstripe didn't like Sunstar that much and wouldn't be impressed if Longpaw went hunting with Sunstar and didn't come back to camp like he'd been told.

"Sorry, Sunstar, but I can't. Darkstripe told me to come back to camp after showing you the rabbits."

Sunstar nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, of course, always listen to your mentors…"

"'Bye!" Longpaw meowed hurriedly before he bounded off back to camp.

**~!~!~!~!~!~!~**

Tigerclaw watched Longpaw say good-bye to Sunstar through the leaves of the bush he and Darkstripe were hiding behind.

"Finally, my apprentice listens to me," Darkstripe muttered.

"Hush!" Tigerclaw commanded. The dark tabby's tail twitched as he saw Sunstar creep up on a rabbit nibbling on a bush.

The rabbit seemed to realize it was being stalked. It hopped out of sight, and Sunstar cursed under his breath.

Darkstripe smirked.

"Come on," Tigerclaw hissed, clawing his way up a nearby tree. Darkstripe did the same.

They peered through the branches. Sunstar was stalking a mouse now.

"Good," Darkstripe commented. "He followed the blood trail. He's right where we need him."

"Be quiet! And remember…get behind him in case he tries to get away…" Tigerclaw whispered to Darkstripe out of the corner of his mouth.

Before he jumped, Tigerclaw paused for a moment, contemplating this act he was about to do. If StarClan had wanted him to stop, he figured they'd have stopped him by now. They must have wanted him to do this.

Tigerclaw leaped, landing on the ground with a small _thud_! He quietly crept toward the golden tom hunting a fox length away.

Another thud sounded behind him, and Tigerclaw knew Darkstripe was padding off into the opposite direction, ready to guard the trees in case Sunstar tried to make a getaway.

The dark tabby placed each paw lightly on the ground, coming closer and closer to that crouched leader studying his prey.

Tigerclaw hissed as he stepped on a twig and the mouse scurried away, startling Sunstar and causing him to look Tigerclaw's way.

Tigerclaw sneered as the golden leader's face was a mask of confusion.

"I thought you were on the sunhigh patrol," Sunstar meowed, Tigerclaw's dark look seeming to unsettle him.

The dark tabby unsheathed his claws and dug them into the ground. "Oh, I was supposed to be, you worthless leader, but of course, you wouldn't notice if I went or not. You never notice anything. You didn't even killed Sparrowpaw right under your nose."

"Y—_You_ killed Sparrowpaw?"

"Well, actually, no. Darkstripe did. But I just as well killed him, as I was involved in the planning."

"Why?!" Sunstar's voice had risen an octave with fear.

"He was a weakness to the Clan, you ignorant cat, and when the Clan has weaknesses, I weed them out. The Clan is like a river, meant to flow naturally. But when something falls into the water, causing the flow to be…stopped, something must be done. The river must flow again. So," Tigerclaw pulled back his lips to reveal his teeth, "I _make_ the river flow again. Just as I started the flow again with Sparrowpaw's death, so I will start it again with _your _death." Tigerclaw raked his claws across the ground. "Any last words, Sunstar?"

Sunstar gaped, looking at Tigerclaw as if he were mad.

"I suppose not."

Sunstar choked as Tigerclaw pounced at him and delivered a killing bite to his neck as if he were a helpless piece of prey.

One slash of claws, a gush of scarlet blood, and Sunstar lay dead at Tigerclaw's paws.

Darkstripe came padding through the trees. "Hmm," he commented, glancing at his leader's body. "He didn't try to escape at all."

Tigerclaw nodded. "Yes, I know. Now let's get him to the border and leave him on the Thunderpath for the evening patrol to find."

***~!~***

"Everyone! Come quick!" Mousepaw's terrified shriek rang across the camp, and Darkstripe and Tigerclaw exchanged a glance.

"I think they found Sunstar," Darkstripe meowed quietly.

The two sinister **(sorry, couldn't resist saying that) **cats watched as Goldenflower and Redtail dragged Sunstar's battered body into camp. It had been beaten up badly by monsters, and upon closer inspection Tigerclaw noted that the slash on his former leader's neck was barely visible, and his scent covered up by the combined stench of ShadowClan and the Thunderpath.

Featherwhisker had heard Mousepaw's call, and came bounding into view, Bluefur and Spottedpaw behind him.

Tigerclaw quickly put on a mask of despair and grief.

"What happened?" the silvery medicine cat asked, staring in horror at his brother's limp body.

Mousepaw opened her mouth to speak, but Redtail shushed her and, tail drooping, she padded over to Longpaw, who seem shocked by the mangled body of his leader.

"We were patrolling the ShadowClan border," Redtail began, "And we smelled blood. We followed it to the Thunderpath, and…" He shuddered. "We saw…well…" Sadly he gestured to the limp body that lay in front of him.

"ShadowClan must be responsible!"

"We must get revenge!"

Angry voices rang across the clearing, every cat seeming to assume ShadowClan was responsible.

"There's no evidence that ShadowClan did anything," Spottedpaw murmured, checking Sunstar's wounds. "I smell their scent, but that's to be expected, considering he was on the border."

Featherwhisker nodded in approval at his apprentice, his eyes the only thing showing his grief.

Bluefur had been blinking in disbelief at the sight. "Featherwhisker…he can't be…_dead_? He was young, he had three lives left, he—"

"Told you that so you wouldn't be worried. Sunstar had one life, not three. He didn't want his Clan to worry about his safety. You will have to travel to Highstones as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow night."

Bluefur nodded numbly. "All right."

"Come on," Spottedpaw meowed. "Let's go get you some thyme."

Bluefur followed Spottedpaw to the medicine den.

"Lay Sunstar's body out for the vigil," Featherwhisker ordered.

Tigerclaw watched it all interestedly. "So the Clan grieves for the loss of a weak leader. Pitiful."

"Yes, quite," Darkstripe added.

"DARKSTRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPE!" Longpaw wailed, crashing into his mentor's snarling face. "Darkstripe Darkstripe Darkstripe Darkstripe Darkstripe DARKSTRIIIIIIIIIIPE!"

"WHAT?"

Longpaw was silent for a moment. "I forgot."

Darkstripe counted to ten, slowly, telling himself that he might be taken out of the running for deputy if he killed his apprentice.

"Come on, Longpaw, he won't eat you," Tigerclaw growled.

Longpaw rocked on his paws. "I was the last one to see Sunstar!" he finally burst. "It's MY fault he's dead!"

"Yes, yes, you forgot to hold your leader's paw while he was hunting," Tigerclaw spat. "It's Sunstar's fault he was stupid enough to get hit by a monster."

"But he didn't—" Darkstripe began.

"Didn't remember to watch where he was going," Tigerclaw cut Darkstripe off with a glare.

Longpaw seemed confused. "I don't understand! Sunstar wasn't anywhere near the Thunderpath! Maybe some ShadowClan cat killed him."

"Spottedpaw said no cat killed him, and we all know to trust Spottedpaw," Tigerclaw answered smoothly.

Longpaw sighed. "I guess I won't know for real until I get to StarClan."

"If you're lucky," Darkstripe muttered. "I don't think even StarClan would accept a loud-mouthed, crazy, stupid, annoying apprentice such as you."

Longpaw, already heading for his den, didn't hear.

"You idiot!" Tigerclaw snarled as no cat was in hearing range of them. "You complete, Star-Clan forsaken _idiot_! Do you want Longpaw to know we killed his precious leader? He idolized Sunstar!"

"Soon he will idolize us," Darkstripe retorted, "unless he makes me murder him first. Could StarClan give me a more annoying apprentice?"

"Yes," Tigerclaw replied. "They could have given you yourself."

!#$%LOL!#$%OMG!#$%

The next night, all the cats of ThunderClan gathered around the Highrock, eagerly waiting for their new leader to speak. Sunstar's body lay ready for vigil in the clearing.

The newly named Bluestar prowled around on top of the huge boulder. "Cats of ThunderClan," she began. "Due to the recent tragedy, I have had to travel to the Moonstone, and now I stand before you as the new leader of this Clan."

Tigerclaw rolled his eyes. He could have given a much better speech. Bluestar seemed nervous and unprepared.

"I must now name the new deputy." Bluestar bowed her head, and all the cats leaned forward in anticipation.

Tigerclaw twitched his whiskers, and Darkstripe gave him a respectful look.

"Come on, Bluestar," Tigerclaw hissed. "Name me as deputy and quit stalling."

"Do you want me to help you plan the patrols?" Darkstripe offered.

"I don't need help!" Tigerclaw hissed.

"The new deputy is…" Bluestar glanced up, and her eyes sought out a certain cat in the crowd.

_I'm over here_, Tigerclaw thought.

"The new deputy will be Redtail."

"Thank you, Bluestar, I am delighted to be given this—what?" Tigerclaw had begun to ascend the Highrock, and then Bluestar's words had registered themselves in his mind.

Redtail.

Redtail.

Did she say Redtail?

Redtail.

Redtail.

Not you, Tigerclaw. She said Redtail.

Not you, not you, not you. Not you. Redtail.

What.

What?

WHAT!!!

"_What_?" Tigerclaw screeched.

Darkstripe, too, was gaping, his mouth open wide.

Bluestar ducked her head, as if she was embarrassed. Redtail did the same.

"I don't think I'm cut out to be deputy, Bluestar," he mumbled. "Maybe Tigerclaw really should—"

"Yes! I should! I am clearly the best for deputy, Bluestar, can't you see?"

"No," Bluestar meowed firmly. "Tigerclaw, you would make a good deputy, but Redtail has experience on his side. Redtail, I want you as my deputy. Unless, of course, you refuse the post." She raised her voice. "There are many cats who would make excellent deputies in this Clan; however, my choice is my choice, and I want no cat questioning it. Redtail, do you accept?"

Redtail hesitated, then gave a nervous glance back at Tigerclaw. "I—I accept."

"Then I say this before the body and spirit of Sunstar, so that he may hear and approve my choice. Redtail is the new deputy of ThunderClan."

"Redtail! Redtail!" Runningwind, who had trained with Redtail as an apprentice, began the chant. Lionheart took it up. "Redtail! Redtail!"

The rest of the Clan—except for Darkstripe and Tigerclaw—followed.

"Redtail!"

"Redtail!"

"Bluestar!" Another chant started. "Bluestar! Bluestar!"

"Bluestar! Redtail! Bluestar! Redtail!"

Tigerclaw stalked away, Darkstripe following.

As soon as they were out of camp, Tigerclaw started raging.

"How could Bluestar have picked _Redtail_ over _me_? That _weakling_! He has _nothing_ I have! _Whitestorm_ would have been a better choice!"

"She is ill, maybe," Darkstripe offered. "Perhaps her mind is clouded. There has to be a logical explanation—"

"No," Tigerclaw hissed, his eyes burning with fury. "StarClan is interfering. They'll pay. Bluestar will pay. Redtail will pay. All of them, every ThunderClan cat—they'll all pay."

**O.O *hides***

"—think he hates me, Bluestar—"

"Nonsense, Redtail. Tigerclaw had a good reason to expect the position of deputy, and he was probably just disappointed."

Tigerclaw heard a few snatches of conversation as he padded toward the leader's den. "Excuse me," he meowed cordially as he approached the two cats.

Redtail looked up in alarm. "Er, hello…"

"Yes, Tigerclaw?" Bluestar asked coolly.

"I would just like to apologize for my behavior earlier," Tigerclaw meowed, lying as easily as he could catch a mouse. "I fully accept you as the Clan's deputy, Redtail, and I do not mean to cause you any disrespect. Will you forgive me for my outburst?"

"Of course, Tigerclaw. I hope we can still remain friends after this." Redtail gave Tigerclaw an uneasy smile, his eyes traveling down to the dark tabby's unusually long claws.

"Thank you, Tigerclaw," Bluestar meowed.

Tigerclaw dipped his head and left the den.

"It worked?" Darkstripe inquired when they grabbed something to eat from the fresh-kill pile.

"Oh yes, Darkstripe. It worked.

"Now we wait for the perfect moment to strike."

***peeks out from under hiding spot and glances around nervously for Tigerclaw* Is he gone?**

**Well, how did you like little Longpaw? He was fun to write. Tell me what I should do with him. Should Tigerclaw and Darkstripe tell him of their plans? Or should I keep Longpaw the way he is, just knowing little and doing what he's told?**

**Oh no! The story's getting closer to the present! That means…FIREPAW IS COMING…**

**Did I play all the characters in…um…character? Do you think I portrayed Redtail's deputy ceremony well enough?**

**Please give me opinions on EVERYTHING…if you want.**

**Review! Whoever gives a review gets a Longpaw plushie! He has a button that you press and it says different phrases.**

**Phrase One: "DARKSTRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPE!"**

**Phrase Two: "I forgot."**

**Phrase Three: "Because **_**why**_**?"**

**Phrase Four: "Please tell me!"**

**Phrase Five: "Is that okay?"**

**Phrase Six: "Let's go shopping."**

**Virtual plushies are getting more and more advanced…remember when they were just fabric stuffed with beans? *squeezes Longpaw plushie***

**Longpaw plushie: Let's go shopping.**

**Bye!**

**~LenzieKat~**


	20. LongTime Worries

**SO SORRY! My internet's been out for a long time, and I just now got it back.**

**Heh…heh…enjoy the chapter, and read my Author Note at the bottom please.**

**Tigerclaw: Join the dark side.**

**Me: Um…why?**

**Tigerclaw: Er…*thinks wildly* We have cookies?**

**Me: *asks suspiciously* What kind? O.o**

**Tigerclaw: Chocolate chip?**

**Me: Awesome! *takes cookie* **

**Tigerclaw: So?...**

**Me: What? Oh! Right! *joins dark side and steals the rest of the cookies***

**Enjoy the chapter!**

*****

Leader—**Bluestar**

Deputy—**Redtail**

Medicine Cat—**Featherwhisker**

**Apprentice, Spottedpaw**

Warriors—

**Halftail**

**Stonepelt**

**Dappletail**

**Lionheart**

**Runningwind**

**Whitestorm**

**Tigerclaw**

**Goldenflower**

**Apprentice, Mousepaw**

**Frostfur**

**Darkstripe**

**Apprentice, Longpaw**

**Willowpelt**

**Brindleface**

Apprentices—

**Spottedpaw**

**Mousepaw**

**Longpaw**

Queens—

**Petalfur (mother of Dustkit and Ravenkit)**

**Dappletail (mother of Sandkit)**

**Willowpelt (mother of Graykit and Icekit)**

Elders—

**One-eye**

**Smallear**

**Rosetail**

**Patchpelt**

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~***

Redtail ran.

He ran and ran, as fast as he could away from the dark tabby stalking him.

Tigerclaw smirked, for he knew that this was _his_ dream, and if he wanted to catch Redtail, he could.

Redtail stumbled on a protruding tree branch, and fell in a flurry of paws and tail.

Now.

Tigerclaw pounced, pinning Redtail fast to the ground, and leaned forward, teeth bared, aiming for that all-important vein…

"Tigerclaw!"

Tigerclaw opened his eyes, finding his mouth agape, ready to bite a neck that wasn't there. "What?"

"Featherwhisker needs you," announced a voice he recognized as Spottedpaw's. "You and Darkstripe."

"Why?" Tigerclaw snapped.

"Featherwhisker needs you," Spottedpaw repeated, putting a firm emphasis on each word.

Tigerclaw heaved himself to his paws, careful not to step on the sleeping bodies of his Clanmates.

Spottedpaw led the way to the medicine den, where an exhausted Featherwhisker was tending to a sniffling Stonepelt.

"Oh, hello, Tigerclaw. I'm checking every cat to make sure they don't have greencough. I'm afraid of another outbreak like last leaf-bare."

"Well," Tigerclaw meowed bluntly, "I think I would know if I caught greencough. I feel perfectly fine."

"Thad's whut I thod too," Stonepelt interrupted. "Ad here I ab."

"You need to save your energy, Stonepelt," Spottedpaw ordered.

Stonepelt sighed and closed his eyes.

"Are you sure you feel fine?" Featherwhisker asked Tigerclaw again.

"Yes, I am sure."

"I see." Featherwhisker scrutinized Tigerclaw as though determined to catch him sneezing. "Well, eat this tansy anyway; it'll help keep the sickness away."

Tigerclaw bent his head and suspiciously sniffed the tansy before chewing it.

"Featherwhisker."

Tigerclaw turned his head to see Bluestar padding in, supporting Petalfur, whose nose was glistening and eyes gleaming too bright.

"Featherwhisker," Bluestar meowed again. "I found Petalfur sneezing in the nursery."

"I'm fine," Petalfur croaked. "I need to go back and feed Dustkit and Ravenkit."

"They'll be fine with Dappletail and Willowpelt, but you won't do them any good by staying sick in the nursery with them," Bluestar told her sternly.

Spottedpaw led Petalfur over to a fresh nest and diagnosed her with greencough.

Featherwhisker sighed. "Not another one. Do you need anything, Bluestar?"

"Yes, traveling herbs. I need to go to the Moonstone. It's urgent."

Tigerclaw knew he should leave, but he couldn't resist listening.

"The Moonstone? Now?"

"StarClan has been sending me—ah—troubling dreams. I need to go to the Moonstone."

"Ah, well, do you need any warriors to go with you?"

"No, I need to go alone."

"Very well." Featherwhisker turned to Spottedpaw. "Spottedpaw, could you—"

"I'm on it, Featherwhisker," Spottedpaw meowed.

"Tigerclaw? What are you doing?"

Tigerclaw spun around to see Darkstripe. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Feel terrible," Darkstripe grunted. "Going to see Featherwhisker."

"Not you too!" Tigerclaw hissed. He padded away to the warriors den, intending to catch up on lost sleep.

Less than what seemed like ten seconds later, Tigerclaw was woken yet again, this time by a wailing.

"Featherwhisker! Featherwhisker!"

Tigerclaw opened his eyes to see Willowpelt running toward the nursery with her white-furred she-kit, Icekit, dangling from her jaws. Graykit, Icekit's brother, tried to run after his mother, his two-moon-old kit legs making it hard to keep up. Tigerclaw padded after them, curious.

"…woke up and she was coughing and sneezing!" Willowpelt was saying in a panicked voice.

"Greencough," Featherwhisker sighed.

Tigerclaw heard Icekit mew pitifully and saw Spottedpaw lay her down beside Petalfur.

"Wait! Let me stay with her!" Willowpelt shrieked.

"You don't want to get sick too," Spottedpaw reminded the queen gently. "Don't forget Graykit," she added, gesturing to the small kit poking his head around his mother's legs to look at his limp sister.

Willowpelt sniffed. "B—but—"

"I'll look after her, Willowpelt," Petalfur meowed weakly, "if you'll look after Dustkit and Ravenkit."

Willowpelt shot one last look at her coughing kit, and nodded, departing the den.

Darkstripe stepped forward, and Spottedpaw meowed, "You don't have greencough too?"

Featherwhisker glanced at Darkstripe. "No, I think he just has whitecough. Darkstripe, you'd better stay in here, just in case."

Tigerclaw shook his head and padded over to the apprentices' den. He figured this meant he would have to train Longpaw while Darkstripe was sick. On the way, he passed the nursery where he saw a small, nervous-looking black kit watching a beetle on the ground, while two other kits—a ginger one and a brown tabby—were stalking him.

"Longpaw!" Tigerclaw called.

Longpaw emerged from his den, yawning. "Hi, Tigerclaw. Where's Darkstripe?"

"Whitecough." Tigerclaw snarled. Sickness in the Clan was a weakness. If any of the other Clans found out ThunderClan was infested with greencough, they would take that as an invitation to attack.

"Oh." Longpaw stretched. "So what are we doing today?"

"Battle training. We're going to the sandy hollow."

!*~*!

"Longpaw! You fight like a she-cat!"

Longpaw was flung across the clearing. "Sorry," he muttered.

"You'll never get power this way!" Tigerclaw snarled.

"Power? What do you mean by that?"

"_Power_, Longpaw. Becoming leader of your Clan! Power!"

Longpaw looked confused. "Okay…"

"Do you not want power?"

"Well, yes, that'd be nice, but I don't think I would ever be chosen for anything like that…"

"Make it happen, then!" Tigerclaw snapped at the mousebrained apprentice.

"How?"

"Take your opponents out."

"You mean…like killing them?" Longpaw looked horrified.

Tigerclaw paused, wondering whether to go further in this conversation. He didn't know if he could trust Longpaw or not.

"Come on," he meowed finally. "We need to work on your back-clawing attack."

!*~*!

Two sunrises had passed since Longpaw had questioned power, and Tigerclaw was having a nightmare.

The Clan was gathered around Highrock, and Longpaw was giving the Clan a long-winded tale of how Tigerclaw killed cats in way of power.

Bluestar looked at Tigerclaw, and declared him exiled.

Tigerclaw's plans for leadership were crumbling, falling…

Tigerclaw awoke with a jolt, and padded out of the warriors' den, noticing that it had snowed during the night and that it was so freezing ice had frozen on the ends of some of his denmates' whiskers.

"What's going on?" he asked Redtail, who was gazing at the medicine den in sadness.

Without sparing Tigerclaw a glance, Redtail meowed, "Stonepelt and Icekit didn't make it through the night. They were weak, and the cold was too much…" He gestured to the den, where Willowpelt was huddled, an unmoving bundle between her paws.

"And Petalfur and Darkstripe? How are they?" Tigerclaw asked.

"Petalfur is sicker, and Darkstripe still just has whitecough. And there's another thing. Featherwhisker is ill."

"Ill?"

"Yes. It seems that he caught greencough while tending to all the sick cats. Spottedpaw's really worried about him. He's almost as sick as Petalfur now."

"He wasn't sick yesterday."

"It was so sudden. He was trying to keep Icekit breathing, then he started coughing and sneezing and Spottedpaw made him rest." Redtail sighed. "So many sick and dead. Why don't you go see what you can do to help? I would, but Bluestar put me on guard."

Tigerclaw nodded and padded over to the medicine den, the stench of sickness and death overwhelming him. Darkstripe greeted him.

"Spottedpaw told me to wait outside so I wouldn't get sicker," he meowed.

"Tigerclaw!" Spottedpaw burst out of the den. "I need you to go find catmint."

"Catmint?"

"Yes, catmint! Over by Twolegplace. Now go! Hurry!"

~!~!~!~!~!~

Tigerclaw thrashed through the stinking undergrowth of Twolegplace. He remembered when he was an apprentice and had come to this very place to get catmint for Featherwhisker.

He spotted some in a corner of a Twoleg garden, and reluctantly climbed down to get it.

Tigerclaw had a good bunch of it when he heard a creaking. Looking behind him, he saw a Twoleg opening a door and a queen emerging from it with some kits.

Tigerclaw barely had time to dive into a bush so not to be seen.

The queen lay down on the grass and three of her kits started crawling over her. They looked around the same age as Graykit.

One of the kits, a dark ginger one, looked curiously at the bush where Tigerclaw was hiding. Tigerclaw tensed, preparing to lash out at the kit, but the queen interfered. "Rusty! Get away from there!"

The ginger kit padded away back to his mother.

"Back inside for all of you, now," she meowed. She picked up a tabby she-kit by the scruff. The she-kit mewled loudly.

"Oh, hush now, Princess," the queen scolded.

When none of them were looking, Tigerclaw darted back into the forest.

"Dumb kittypet," he muttered.

~*!*~

When he reached the camp, there was an air of mourning.

Whitestorm greeted Tigerclaw with bad news. "Featherwhisker is dead."

Tigerclaw dropped the catmint. "What? But Spottedpaw…"

"I know," Whitestorm sighed. "She's still just an apprentice. Bluestar's still at the Moonstone, and when she comes back, we're going to ask her what to do."

"So we're going to stand here like helpless kits and wait for our leader to tell us what to do?" Tigerclaw meowed indignantly. "We—"

"What's going on?"

Bluestar was frozen in the camp entrance, staring at the three bodies laid out for vigil.

Redtail burst from the camp entrance and started to explain to the shocked leader what had happened.

"Spottedpaw!" Bluestar called when Redtail had finished talking.

Spottedpaw emerged from the medicine den, her eyes looking red and puffy. "Yes, Bluestar?" To Tigerclaw she meowed, "Take that catmint to Petalfur."

Tigerclaw nodded and padded off to where Spottedpaw had just left.

Petalfur looked pitiful, barely breathing, coughing quietly as though she wasn't strong enough to cough loudly.

"Petalfur," Tigerclaw meowed. "Eat this."

Petalfur just stared, as if she wasn't seeing him.

As Tigerclaw tried to get her to eat the catmint, Petalfur suddenly started gasping and choking.

"Petalfur?" Tigerclaw rolled his eyes. Better give her an easy death. He pressed his paw on her throat, so that her breathing and choking were cut off.

Petalfur's eyes glazed over.

Tigerclaw sighed, and padded out to where Bluestar and Spottedpaw were still talking.

"…I will take you to the Moonstone tomorrow night to speak with StarClan."

Tigerclaw approached them. "Spottedpaw, Bluestar. Petalfur has just died."

Spottedpaw let out a choked sob. "I should have stayed with her! It's my fault! I should have stayed with them all!"

"Hush, Spottedpaw." Bluestar led the wailing apprentice over to the apprentices' den, where her littermates were watching the still bodies in the clearing.

"Well, at least I only have whitecough." Darkstripe's voice sounded from behind.

Tigerclaw turned around. "Oh. Shouldn't you be in the medicine den?"

"And catch that lingering sickness? No, of course not."

"Mmm-hmm. Too bad about Icekit," Tigerclaw commented. "She seems like she would have made a good warrior."

"Yes, she would have. Her brother's different, though. Too cocky for his own good."

"Graykit? I suppose so. Ravenkit has some problems, though. He's too nervous." Tigerclaw glanced at the small black kit who was dozing by Dappletail's side, seemingly unaware that his mother was dead.

"Dustkit seems like he might make a good warrior, too."

"And Sandkit?" Tigerclaw gestured to the pale ginger she-kit who seemed to be saying something spiteful to a shocked Ravenkit.

"Erm…her tongue seems to be sharper than her claws," Darkstripe meowed amusedly. "I'll be reserving judgment on her."

Sandkit chose that moment to pounce on Ravenkit's tail, sending him flying in the air.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

The moon had risen and the Clan was gathering for the vigil.

Willowpelt was blank-eyed, staring at the lifeless body of her kit, while Graykit looked on confusedly.

Bluestar gazed sadly at Stonepelt, who was her mentor.

Ravenkit and Dustkit sat next to their mother for a bit, before they were sleepily led away by Dappletail.

And Spottedpaw pressed her nose into Featherwhisker's cold gray fur.

Tigerclaw sat vigil for no one, and remained in the shadows.

"Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw froze. Was his mind playing tricks on him?

"Tigerclaw, turn around."

Tigerclaw revolved slowly on the spot, hardly daring to believe it.

"Dapplepaw," he whispered hoarsely.

The beautiful she-cat was standing there, illuminated in the shadows, still looking the same as before Thistleclaw killed her. She did not smile.

"Come, Tigerclaw." She turned and padded out of the camp.

Without giving it any second thought, Tigerclaw followed, no cat seeming to see him go.

He followed her to Fourtrees.

She stopped there, and faced him with a solid determination in her eyes—her beautiful golden eyes.

Tigerclaw saw some other cats lying draped across branches. Wildpaw was among the first to snarl at him.

He also saw that cat, Shadestorm, that had told him she was his mother. He saw Snowfur, who gazed at him with sadness.

And there was Cloverpaw, sitting beside Wildpaw, glaring at him with undisguised anger.

Sparrowpaw, sniffing pathetically next to a cat Tigerclaw did not recognize.

And, off to the side as if he didn't belong, Thistleclaw.

"You!" Tigerclaw spat, launching himself at that gray cat he hated so much, the cat who had killed Dapplepaw, the cat he wanted to kill ten times over, the cat who he dug his claws into right now…

"STOP!"

Tigerclaw was thrown back from Thistleclaw, and a large white tom he hadn't seen before stepped out.

"You dare attack another while StarClan holds court?" the tom hissed.

Tigerclaw glared at Thistleclaw, panting. "Why is he with you, here, in StarClan?"

"He does not live in StarClan. We are reserving judgment on him, just as you said you would do with poor Sandkit."

Tigerclaw snarled. "I would like to tear his throat out, not _reserve judgment_."

"You already ripped my throat out once," Thistleclaw snapped. "Remember? When you killed me?"

"Best moment of my life, killing you," Tigerclaw hissed.

"Stop!" the white tom ordered.

Tigerclaw still continued to taunt Thistleclaw. "You're a coward, a murderer, a traitor, a—"

"Everything you are now?" Dapplepaw interrupted softly. "I used to love you, Tigerclaw. I thought you were kind, and sweet, and brave, but now I can't say that's true. Kindness has been replaced by violence, and sweetness has been replaced by hatred, and bravery has been replaced by co—"

"I'm not a coward," Tigerclaw fumed. "Would a coward defend his Clan the way I do? Fight the way I do?"

Dapplepaw cast her eyes downward.

"When you say, 'holding court'," Tigerclaw hissed, "what do you mean by that?"

"This is getting out of hand, Tigerclaw," the white tom sighed. "First Thistleclaw and Cloverpaw, when you were but an apprentice, then Sparrowpaw—"

"I didn't—"

"Yes, you did. You may not have directly committed the murder, but you are responsible for it nevertheless, for you manipulated poor Darkstripe. You just now killed Petalfur—"

"It was a mercy killing!"

"Mercy," the white tom scoffed. "She would have survived, you know. Had you gone to get Spottedpaw, she would have survived."

Tigerclaw recovered from this slight shock quickly. "How was I supposed to know that?"

"You're not!"

This outburst came from a snarling black she-cat crouched beside Shadestorm.

"You're not supposed to know those things," she hissed, "but you're supposed to know enough not to kill and interfere in StarClan's business, you ungrateful—"

"Enough, Nightwhisker," the white tom commanded.

Nightwhisker was silent, but she shot Tigerclaw a filthy glare.

"Now, Tigerclaw," the white tom meowed, "what have you to say for yourself?"

"Say for myself?" Tigerclaw hissed. "_Say for myself_? It's you all who should be saying something for yourselves, you worthless cats! You're too soft for your own good—except you, Dapplepaw," he added, his gaze softening as he looked at his dead love. "You inspired me."

"Actually, Tigerclaw," Dapplepaw sniffed. "I only wanted the Clans to be united to prevent needless fighting and bloodshed. You have taken my ideas too far."

Tigerclaw's gaze hardened. "Then you're as bad as the rest of them."

Dapplepaw sniffed again and raced to stand beside Wildpaw.

Tigerclaw snarled at her. "I thought you alone would stand by me. I guess I was wrong." To the white tom he asked scathingly, "Why am I here?"

"We need to fix your problem," the tom answered. "Each cat here has something to say."

"Fix my problem? Think about fixing your problem first! You soft bunch of weaklings!"

"Hush!" A small gray and white she-kit with an unusually serious gaze cut Tigerclaw off. "You cannot talk."

A bigger tom who looked exactly like the she-kit muttered, "Come on, Leapkit, he's such an idiot that he probably doesn't even understand you."

"Hush, Dusktail!" the she-kit called Leapkit hissed. "Idiot though he may be, now is not the time for insults."  
Tigerclaw would have liked to retort angrily, but found he was not able to make a sound.

Leapkit sighed. "I bring forth Shadestorm."

Shadestorm stepped forward. "I am Shadestorm, mate—er—ex-mate of Thistleclaw, and mother to Tigerclaw." She stepped up to a scowling Tigerclaw with a pleading gaze in her eyes. "Please listen to me, my son. I love you. You could kill every cat in the Clans and I would still love you. But you have disappointed me. Some of your behavior is Thistleclaw's fault, I admit that. But Snowfur raised you as good as I could, and you should have listened to her."

"I didn't raise him good enough," Snowfur sighed sadly.

"Well—" Tigerclaw started to make a rude comeback, but as soon as he started to talk, his lips sealed themselves.

"Shut up!" the white tom told him. "It's not your turn to talk yet. Unless you want to be set upon by all the prey you've ever killed, keep your fat mouth closed."

Tigerclaw could only glare in reply.

"May _I_ say something?" Thistleclaw asked. "Since my mouth is not forcibly sealed by an imbecile?"

The white tom hissed. "Haven't you already ruined enough? If I remember correctly, you're the reason we're here."

"Just let him speak," the she-kit called Leapkit sighed. "The way this is going, we'll end up doing more bad than good."

"Ha," Thistleclaw laughed. "As if you ever thought you'd do good in the first place."

"Thistleclaw…" the white tom meowed warningly.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Tigerscum, you're a dream killer. A mother murderer. Plus you're the worst son that ever lived." Thistleclaw's eyes gleamed with hatred.

Tigerclaw's eyes looked just as hateful.

"All right, that's enough!" the white tom hissed. "Clearly you have not changed, Thistleclaw. Perhaps we should doom you to the Dark Forest after all. Your four seasons of repenting are nearly up."

Thistleclaw gulped. "I—ah—"

Tigerclaw broke his sealed lips. "The Dark Forest?" he asked sharply. "What's that?"

"I thought we shut you up!" the white tom yowled.

"Our time here is waning," Leapkit told him wearily. "We can't keep a strong hold on him."

The white tom sighed. "All we did was make the situation worse…"

"What is the Dark Forest?" Tigerclaw repeated.

"The Dark Forest is the opposite of StarClan," a cat meowed from the back of the crowd. Tigerclaw recognized Moonflower, Bluestar's mother. "Where StarClan is full of joy and happiness, the Dark Forest is full of cold and despair. In StarClan, you are with your friends and family, in the Dark Forest you wander alone. The Dark Forest is where you will go if you do not change your ways."

"You're lying."

"Why would StarClan lie?" a new voice interrupted.

Tigerclaw turned to see Featherwhisker, looking younger and stronger than Tigerclaw had ever seen him. Sunstar was behind him.

"Hello, Tigerclaw," the silvery tom meowed.

"You heard?" the white tom asked him.

"Yes, I heard. Tigerclaw, how could you? I remember you as a happy, carefree kit, and I've respected you as you've grown, and now I come to StarClan and find that you're a murderer."

"He killed me," Sunstar reminded him.

"Yes, brother, I know," Featherwhisker sighed. "And Thistleclaw, Cloverpaw, Sparrowpaw, and just now, Petalfur."

"Terrible," Sunstar meowed, shaking his head.

"Yes, I know," Featherwhisker meowed again. "Well, I must go. Spottedpaw needs some help tending to Willowpelt—she's still grieving—and I'm going to appear in her dream and speak to her. Good-bye. And, Tigerclaw," he fixed Tigerclaw with a steely gaze, "you be careful. Watch your path."

Tigerclaw hissed in reply, and Sunstar and Featherwhisker dissolved in a shower of golden and silver sparks.

"We have to go soon, too," the white tom sighed. "We're fixing to fade." He turned to Tigerclaw. "Do you repent?"

"R—_repent_?" Tigerclaw snarled. "Who do you think you are, telling me to repent? I feel no remorse for what I did. I made my Clan stronger, and I'll continue doing that."

"Tigerclaw…please…" Dapplepaw whispered.

"No."

"Tigerclaw, stop being a stubborn mousebrain. You need to see what harm you've done…please, listen to me," Dapplepaw pleaded.

Tigerclaw was silently fuming.

"Please, Tigerclaw, _please_…"

Tigerclaw leaped.

He leaped, and pinned down Dapplepaw, and held her throat with his claws. "No," he growled. "_You _need to see what harm you've done."

Wildpaw yowled in outrage. "Leave her alone!"

"STOP!"

The white tom flicked his paw, and Tigerclaw was thrown off of Dapplepaw, hitting a tree trunk and landing on the ground with a thump.

"We must go," the white tom decreed. "It seems our time here has done nothing to change your mind, Tigerclaw." He dissolved in a shower of sparks as Featherwhisker and Sunstar had done.

The other cats did the same, until only one small she-kit remained.

"Look," Leapkit hissed, "you need to get your act together. Do you _want _to end up forever in the Dark Forest?"

"Why should I listen to a weak kit who was obviously not important enough to live?"

"I am not weak, nor unimportant. I have lived the past, and seen the future. I know how your life will end if you continue on this path."  
"You know? _Tell me_!"

"Be careful, Tigerclaw," Leapkit purred venomously. "One more murder, and I get to decide how exactly you die. Remember, _tiny mistakes may result in terrible death."_

On that note, she vanished.

Tigerclaw paced on the spot, thinking wildly about what he'd just been through.

"StarClan is wrong," he muttered. "They're fools. Even Dapplepaw."

He turned and padded back to camp.

~!#$#!~

When he arrived at the camp, it was almost dawn and Petalfur, Icekit, Featherwhisker, and Stonepelt had already been buried.

Tigerclaw found Darkstripe snoozing in the warriors' den.

"Get up," he snapped, poking the sleeping tom with a claw.

"Wha—wha—whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" Darkstripe yawned. "Oh, Tigerclaw"—yawn—"where were you? You left just as the vigil started."

"I wanted to get away," Tigerclaw lied.

"Okay." Darkstripe seemed happy with this explanation.

"ShadowClan invading!"

Tigerclaw's neck fur stood on end until he realized it was only Graykit, playing merrily in the clearing with Dustkit and Sandkit. They were playing a game they called ShadowClan Invade, which, Tigerclaw thought sarcastically, was the most original name in the world.

"So," Darkstripe yawned again. "I talked to Longpaw. I tried to teach him about power."

"And?"

"He doesn't seem interested. He seems like a follower, not a leader." Darkstripe sighed.

"Well, he wouldn't get to be much of a leader anyway," Tigerclaw pointed out. "I will be leader, you deputy…no place for him."

"He needs to be more aggressive," Darkstripe thought. "Longpaw is as soft as kit fur."

Tigerclaw nodded. "I must talk with him. I'll take him out for battle practice at sunhigh."

~!#$#!~

Tigerclaw padded over to the apprentice den and called, "Longpaw!"

Mousepaw burst out, her jaws crammed with moss. She gave Tigerclaw a respectful nod and padded off for the elders' den.

Longpaw came out next, looking sleepy. When he saw Tigerclaw, his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Look, it wasn't my fault! Mousepaw hid all my hard-gathered moss in here, and then Smallear got cranky 'cause his new moss wasn't in since I couldn't find it, then Mousepaw pretended to be the oh-so-angelic apprentice and pretended to find some new moss, so that Smallear would like her better than me, and I shouldn't be in trouble so make her take care of the elders for a moon, 'cause I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Calm down," Tigerclaw growled. "I was just going to take you out for battle practice."

"Oh," Longpaw mewed, subdued. "Ah. I see. Well…can you still punish Mousepaw?" he asked hopefully. "Only she keeps playing tricks on me and maybe if a senior warrior like you would punish her, she might stop."

"Maybe if you weren't so soft she might stop," Tigerclaw told him.

"I'm not soft!" Longpaw protested. "Only kittypets are soft, and I hate kittypets."

"Why?"

"Because once when I was a kit Mother told me a story about an evil kittypet that once tried to steal kits!" Longpaw shuddered. "She said that I have to stay away from Twolegplace or else kittypets or Twolegs would steal me and…_and take me to a Cutter and then I wouldn't be a tom anymore_. I don't _wanna _be a she-cat! Plus once I was hunting, and a kittypet stole my mouse! It just jumped in front of me and STOLE it!"

"Well then, Longpaw," Tigerclaw rumbled. "How about we practice battle moves that you can use against those kittypets?"

"Okay," Longpaw agreed cheerfully. He followed Tigerclaw out of the camp to the sandy hollow.

"Now," Tigerclaw meowed when they reached it, "show me how you would attack a kittypet."

Longpaw crouched, his eyes narrowed with determination. His eyes strayed to Tigerclaw's left shoulder.

Tigerclaw bunched his muscles.

Longpaw leaped, aiming for Tigerclaw's right shoulder instead. Tigerclaw threw him off with ease and the tabby apprentice went sprawling in the dust.

"Oh, it's no good," Longpaw grunted as he got to his paws. "I'll never be as good as you."

"Perhaps so," Tigerclaw growled, "but that's no reason to give up! Next time, try aiming for the neck."

"But…wouldn't that kill the cat that I was attacking?" Longpaw asked nervously.

"So? The cat shouldn't have defied you in the first place."

"Oh, um, okay. I guess that makes sense." Longpaw studied Tigerclaw's neck.

"Remember not to actually kill me," Tigerclaw snarled.

Longpaw leaped again, this time coming at Tigerclaw's neck. Tigerclaw flung him away.

"Pitiful," Tigerclaw hissed.

"Well, you're better than me," Longpaw defended. "In real battle, I'd be up against a cat my age, probably."

"Are you positive about that?" Tigerclaw asked him.

"Well, um, no, but—"

"Then you need more practice."

Longpaw sighed and crouched down again.

**(A/N: Since I need to get to the part where Rusty comes in, I'm going to skip some time here)**

"Longpaw, Mousepaw, from now on you shall be known as Longtail and Mousefur. StarClan honors your intelligence and courage, and we welcome you as warriors of ThunderClan." Bluestar rested her muzzle on the newly named Longtail, and then Mousefur, and in return they licked her shoulder.

Tigerclaw did not cheer, but looked at his soon-to-be apprentice, Ravenkit. Bluestar had told him that she would be giving him Ravenkit to train, in hopes that he would be able to teach the small black kit some courage. Right now the small black kit was talking with Dustkit and Sandkit, also about to be named apprentices. Graykit would be named one in another half a moon.

"Now we have some kits that are ready to begin their apprenticeship. Sandkit, Dustkit, Ravenkit, will you please come up here?"

Sandkit padded up to Highrock, her tail straight up and her eyes gleaming with excitement. Dustkit and Ravenkit stayed back for a second.

"I wish Petalfur were here," Ravenkit whimpered.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Dappletail meowed. "She's looking down on you two from StarClan right now, I'm sure."

"She's right," Spottedleaf—newly named, having gotten her full name from another medicine cat half a moon ago—meowed. She had appeared from the medicine den. "I've seen her in StarClan. She watches you two all the time."

"Really?" Dustkit asked.

"Yes," Spottedleaf answered. "I know she's very proud of you. Now go up there and show her how good of kits you are."

Dustkit straightened up and licked his chest. "We're going to be the best apprentices ever!" He nudged Ravenkit. "Come on!"

Tigerclaw watched the two kits pad up to Highrock, where Bluestar was watching them with a twinkle in her eyes.

"So, think Ravenkit'll be a good apprentice?" Darkstripe suddenly whispered in his ear.

"No," Tigerclaw answered. "Probably not."

"I can't believe I'm finally a warrior!" Longtail exclaimed. "This is so awesome!"

"Yes, at last we're equals, or something close to that, anyway," Darkstripe muttered. "Hooray, hooray for Longpaw."

"Long_tail_!" Longtail protested.

"Yes, of course, I knew that, Longkit," Darkstripe meowed.

"Long…TAIL!"

Tigerclaw turned back to the ceremony. Bluestar was giving Sandkit her apprentice name.

"…from now on you shall be known as Sandpaw. Whitestorm, you are an experienced warrior. You will be Sandpaw's mentor. I know that you will make her into a warrior ThunderClan can be proud of."

Whitestorm padded up to Highrock and touched noses with his new apprentice.

"Dustkit, from now on you shall be known as Dustpaw. Redtail, you are to be Dustpaw's mentor. Pass on all your skills to this young cat, and I know he will make a fine warrior."

Redtail and Dustpaw touched noses.

"Ravenkit."  
Tigerclaw pricked his ears forward.

"From now on you shall be known as Ravenpaw. Tigerclaw—"

Tigerclaw started padding to Highrock.

"Tigerclaw, you shall be Ravenpaw's mentor. I know you will pass on all your strength and courage to him, and make him a great warrior."

Tigerclaw bent to touch noses with his new apprentice. Ravenpaw gazed up at his new mentor, his eyes round.

As they descended Highrock, Tigerclaw expected him to start asking things such as, "Where are we going?" "Can we go hunting?" "Can we do some battle practice?"

But Ravenpaw said nothing.

"We're going to see the territory," Tigerclaw told him.

"Does that include Snakerocks?" Ravenpaw mewed, his pupils growing bigger.

"Yes."

"B-b-but…there's _adders _there! I'll die! I don't want to go there!"

"Then we'll avoid Snakerocks," Tigerclaw grunted.

"Then are we going to see the Owl Tree?"

"Yes…why?"

"There's owls there! They might pick me up and carry me away!" Ravenpaw shivered. "I don't want to be eaten by an owl!"

"Then we'll avoid the Owl Tree. Now, do you have a problem with anywhere else?"

"Aren't there foxes and badgers out in the forest?" Ravenpaw whispered.

"Yes."

"So can we stay here instead?"

_O StarClan_, Tigerclaw thought. _Help me_.

*

**I promise…Next chapter will catch up to the present…or at least the prologue of Into the Wild. In the next chapter or the chapter after that…FIREPAW COMES.**

**Tee hee hee…*dances wildly*…All Tigerclaw's plans are going to be FOILED. **

**So should I make next chapter really long and have Firepaw come in that one? Or should I wait?**

**Don't worry, Featherwhisker and Sunstar and going to be popping up every now and then.**

**In case it wasn't clear, Spottedleaf had gotten training from all the other medicine cats combined after Featherwhisker died, and Barkface gave Spottedleaf her name.**

**I'm still thinking about what to do about Goldenflower…I think I'll just have Tigerclaw get her stuck in the nursery with kits.**

**Ciao! **

**~LenzieKat**


	21. Tiger Rising

**Tigerstar: Yahoo! You joined the dark side!**

**Me: Yep. *chomps on cookie***

**Tigerstar: Stop eating the cookies! We have to discuss world domination.**

**Me: *licks chocolate off fingers* You said if I joined the dark side I could get cookies.**

**Tigerstar: I'm evil. I lied.**

**Spottedleaf: I'll give you a boxful of cookies if you join the side of good.**

**Me: Well…okay. *takes cookies***

**Tigerstar: I always lose.**

*****

Leader—**Bluestar**

Deputy—**Redtail (apprentice, Dustpaw)**

Medicine Cat—**Spottedleaf**

Warriors—

**Lionheart (apprentice, Graypaw)**

**Tigerclaw (apprentice, Ravenpaw)**

**Whitestorm (apprentice, Sandpaw)**

**Goldenflower**

**Darkstripe**

**Longtail**

**Runningwind**

**Willowpelt**

**Mousefur**

Apprentices—

**Dustpaw**

**Ravenpaw**

**Graypaw**

**Sandpaw**

Queens—

**Frostfur**

**Brindleface**

**Speckletail**

Elders—

**Halftail**

**Smallear**

**Patchpelt**

**One-eye**

**Dappletail**

**Rosetail**

*****

Sunlight filtered through the leaves of trees, and a young kit with stars swimming in her fur padded through them, blinking her eyes as the light hit them.

Another cat ran up to meet her. "Sorry I'm late," the new arrival panted. "The others got held up watching Frostfur's new kits."

"Do they have to obsess with every birth?" the kit exclaimed.

"Well, we're StarClan," the other meowed. "It is our solemn duty to watch over every new life."

"Yes, I know that, but this meeting is much more important!" the kit sighed. "Surely they can sacrifice a birth just for this."

"When did you get so wise, Leapkit?" the older cat murmured sadly.

Leapkit smiled. "I died. You're wise, too, Dusktail, it's just covered up by humor."

Dusktail rolled his eyes. "Well, here they come." He nodded his head over to a gap in the trees, where a bunch of cats were emerging.

"Oh, the kits are so cute!" One she-cat, Sageflower, purred happily. "One has the cutest little mew, and—"

"Pardon, but we need to get on with this meeting!" Leapkit interrupted. "The matter of Tigerclaw is such that must be discussed immediately."

A huge white tom nodded. "Leapkit is correct. What do we do about him? We already broke one of the most important laws by that trial, and we will be banished from here if we interfere anymore."

"Well, you won't be banished, Star," Nightwhisker told the white tom, "but the rest of us might be."

"True. I lead everyone, but even I cannot overrule the breaking of such an important law." Star sighed. "We cannot meddle with Tigerclaw anymore, but—" He broke off, staring into space.

"Star?" Moonflower asked. "Star?"

Star was silent for a long time. Finally he moved, and started gasping and panting, his fur on end and his fur drenched with sweat.

**(A/N: Since I'm nice, I'll tell you that Star just saw everything from when Rusty comes to ThunderClan to what Tigerclaw does, to Firestar watching Scourge kill Tigerstar)**

"I—oh—my—I—"

"What did you see?" Shadestorm asked in a hushed voice. Dapplepaw, Wildpaw, and Cloverpaw looked on with wide eyes.

"Sageflower," Star whispered. "Do you remember that prophecy you spoke long ago—_fire will save the Clans_?

Sageflower nodded. "You said you knew what it meant."

Star blinked. "I knew what it was referring to, but now—I—know—_exactly_—what—it—means. Sageflower, I need you to send a dream."

"To whom?"

"Well…I want you to send a dream to a kittypet named Rusty. Have him hunt a mouse."

*

Tigerclaw was eating a vole by the fresh-kill pile along with Darkstripe and Longtail. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Ravenpaw chatting animatedly with new apprentice Graypaw by the apprentice den.

"So, Tigerclaw," Darkstripe asked, "how do you like your apprentice?"

"He is scared of every single thing StarClan has granted upon us in this forest. He's scared of fresh-kill because he thinks it might not be dead after all and bite his face off. He's scared of drinking water because he's afraid he'll breathe in some and drown. He's scared of suffocating in his nest while he sleeps, he's scared of sleeping because he might not wake up, he's scared of being awake because he might not live long enough to go to sleep…" Tigerclaw sighed. "He—"

"RiverClan invading! RiverClan INVADING!" Dustpaw burst through the camp entrance, his eyes wide with fear. "At Sunningrocks! Three of them! Redtail and Mousefur are trying to keep battle at bay, but there is going to be a battle, Oakheart said, and Redtail sent me for help! HELP!"

Bluestar had come to investigate. "RiverClan?" she inquired sharply. When Dustpaw breathlessly nodded, she called out, "Tigerclaw! Whitestorm! Sandpaw! Go and help Redtail! Hurry!"

"Why can't I go?" Dustpaw demanded.

"You're tired. Go to Spottedleaf," Bluestar answered. "Hurry, my warriors! Redtail is waiting!"

Tigerclaw had scrambled to his paws and raced towards the camp entrance in the direction of Sunningrocks, Whitestorm, and Sandpaw following behind.

He knew battle had already erupted; he could hear the screeches of furious cats in the distance.

Redtail was fighting with Oakheart and an older apprentice whose name Tigerclaw thought was Silverpaw. Mousefur was holding her own against Blackclaw.

"Tigerclaw!" Redtail yelled. "Thank StarClan Dustpaw reached you!"

Tigerclaw did not answer, but flung himself at Oakheart. "How dare you hunt in our territory? The Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan!"

"After tonight, Tigerclaw, this will just be another RiverClan hunting ground!" Oakheart spat back.

Tigerclaw growled.

"Look out!" Mousefur shouted. "More RiverClan warriors coming!"

Cats were rising from the river and hurling themselves into battle. They reeked of fish.

Tigerclaw curled his lip. "You may swim like otters, but you and your warrior do not belong in this forest!"

He turned as he heard Mousefur scream. A RiverClan warrior had pinned her to the ground and was about to bite her neck.

Tigerclaw let Oakheart escape from his grasp, then knocked the other warrior aside. "Quick, Mousefur, run!" Mousefur ran, wincing from a deep gash on her shoulder, and Tigerclaw turned to the warrior who had threatened her.

The warrior hissed at him, and then sliced open Tigerclaw's nose. The dark brown tabby roared in fury and sank his teeth into the other's hind leg, sending him running for home.

"Tigerclaw!" Redtail called out as some more RiverClan warrior joined the fray. "This is useless! There are too many RiverClan warriors!"

Weakness! "No, Redtail! This is our territory! ThunderClan will never be beaten!" Blood was welling from Tigerclaw's muzzle, and he shook it away impatiently.

"ThunderClan will honor your courage, Tigerclaw, but we cannot afford to lose any more of our warriors," Redtail urged. "Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds. We _will _ have another chance to avenge this defeat." Redtail met Tigerclaw's eyes and then sprang onto a boulder. "Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat!"

The ThunderClan warriors sprang away from their enemies, hissing and spitting.

Oakheart let out a jubilant cry, and the other RiverClan warriors joined in.

Tigerclaw glared at them, then leaped after his Clan into the silent forest.

*

Tigerclaw padded back to the camp in a silent fury. Weakness, he thought. Redtail was so weak! The Clan needed a strong deputy.

"How did it go?" Darkstripe greeted him. "I can't see many wounds, so I have a feeling—"

"We lost," Tigerclaw hissed through gritted teeth. "Redtail—_retreated_. Apparently there were too many RiverClan warriors."

"Retreated? He didn't say anything about that! He's in Bluestar's den right now."

"Redtail is too weak a leader," Tigerclaw growled.

"That may be," Darkstripe sighed, "but what can one do about it?"

Kill him, Tigerclaw thought. Take the weak deputy out.

"Should you go see Spottedleaf?" Darkstripe asked him. "Get something for your neck?"

Tigerclaw shook his head. "A real warrior bears his pain."

"Tigerclaw! You're alive!" Ravenpaw ran up to them. "I was afraid you were going to die!"

"Isn't that a surprise," Darkstripe muttered.

Ravenpaw gave the dark gray warrior a glare. "I'm not scared of _everything_!" he protested.

"Fox!" Tigerclaw yowled.

"WHERE? WHERE? AUGH!!!" Ravenpaw fell over his paws, got back up, and leaped on Tigerclaw's back. "Tigerclaw, kill it! Get it! Why aren't you killing it! HELP! FOX! FOX FOX FOX FOX!" Ravenpaw hid his eyes with his paws.

Tigerclaw hissed and threw Ravenpaw off his back—or tried to. Ravenpaw hung on with his claws. "I don't wanna be bait! NO! DON'T MAKE THE FOX EAT ME!"

"Ravenpaw! For StarClan's sake, get off my back! There is no fox!" Tigerclaw rolled over, squishing Ravenpaw beneath him.

"Ow! Tigerclaw, that hurt!" Ravenpaw looked at Tigerclaw reproachfully.

"Too bad."

Darkstripe snorted in laughter. "Stupid kit."

"I am not stupid! And I'm not a kit either!" Ravenpaw frowned.

"Go clean out the elders' den with Graypaw," Tigerclaw told him.

As Ravenpaw scampered away, Tigerclaw briefly thought about telling Darkstripe about his blossoming plan, but decided against it. Darkstripe might spill the beans to Longtail. So he kept silent.

**A few sunrises later…**

Tigerclaw was on patrol with Lionheart, Graypaw, Goldenflower, and Bluestar. Ravenpaw was lagging behind, squeaking in terror at falling leaves that landed on his pelt.

They were padding along the Twoleg border. Goldenflower slowed down. "Tigerclaw," she whispered. "I need to tell you something!" She looked excited.

Tigerclaw hissed at Ravenpaw to catch up with the patrol, then stopped next to the golden-furred she-cat. "What?" He had decided just to make Goldenflower his mate, to get her to leave him alone and stop dropping hints. She would never be like Dapplepaw, but then, Dapplepaw had turned traitor.

"I—I think I'm going to have kits!" she squealed.

**(The kits she's talking about aren't Bramblekit and Tawnykit. It's Swiftkit)**

"Really? Kits? That's interesting." Tigerclaw tried to maintain a calm, cool demeanor while inside, his mind was screaming, _Kits? Oh my StarClan? How could she do this to me, getting pregnant with kits?_

"I know! I can't wait! And I know you'll be a great father." Goldenflower licked Tigerclaw on the ear.

"Uh-huh. Yeah. Neat."

"Spottedleaf says I should move into the nursery soon," Goldenflower sighed. "But I don't know if I want to yet, because then I won't get to see you as much."

"Oh, no, you should move into the nursery right away," Tigerclaw told her. "You might harm the kits if you don't."

"I could?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Goldenflower looked disappointed. "I guess I'll move into the nursery then."

Tigerclaw nodded, then ran to catch up with the patrol, Goldenflower trailing behind.

"Good. You're back," Bluestar greeted when they'd caught up. "For a minute I thought RiverClan had gotten you."

Ravenpaw and Graypaw snickered, and Tigerclaw silenced them with a glare.

"Bluestar, look." Lionheart gestured over to a Twoleg fence with his tail. On it sat a ginger kittypet, gazing into the forest.

Bluestar glanced at him. "Oh, yes. I've seen him before."

"He certainly seems interested in the forest," Lionheart commented.

Bluestar nodded.

*

Tigerclaw had a very strange dream that night. He was stalking a blue mouse, and he leaped and captured it in his paws. Just before he delivered the killing bite, a blaze of fire scorched his fur, and he was forced to drop the mouse and run towards the stream. As he ran in the soothing water, it welcomed him and made him feel stronger. Tigerclaw felt like he could do anything, until the fire came back again, and the water swallowed him up. He came up for breath nine times before he woke up.

When he woke, Tigerclaw did not remember the dream at all.

Darkstripe greeted him with a yawn. "Bluestar's been in her den all night. Hasn't even come out to eat. Whitestorm says she's thinking about something, but wouldn't tell me what it was."

"Does Whitestorm know what she's thinking about?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm." A secret. Tigerclaw was itching to know what it was. "Time for a family reunion." He glanced around the camp before seeing his foster brother. "Whitestorm!" he called.

Whitestorm dropped the vole in his mouth and turned around. "'Morning, Tigerclaw!" he meowed. "How's the prey running?"

"I wouldn't know, seeing as I just woke up. How's Bluestar? I heard she was down."

"Oh." Whitestorm shuffled his paws. "She is kind of depressed, because of the state the Clan's in—you know, more elders than apprentices and all that—but she's not thinking about anything drastic," the white warrior babbled.

Tigerclaw tried to keep a straight face. "I'm going to pay her a visit."

Whitestorm nodded. "And I'm going to pay a visit too—to this vole." He grabbed it in his jaws and padded over to Lionheart.

Tigerclaw nosed his way through the lichen curtain in Bluestar's den.

"Who is it?" a voice called out.

"Tigerclaw."

"Oh, come on in." As Tigerclaw entered, Bluestar lifted up her head. "Sit."

He sat.

"I've been thinking. We have more elders than apprentices, and the other Clans think we are weak because of that fact. Do you remember that ginger kittypet we saw on that patrol?" Bluestar asked.

"Yes."

"I'm going to ask him to join the Clan."

Tigerclaw had been listening without much interest, until Bluestar told him that. He blinked in disbelief. "A—a _kittypet_, Bluestar? A soft, weak, kittypet? Surely not! You can't be serious…Why?"

Bluestar got to her paws. "For my own reasons."

"But—"

"No buts, Tigerclaw. I told you, I have my own reasons." Bluestar gestured for him to go.

Tigerclaw gaped at her once more, then turned around and padded out of the den.

*

"Redtail, are you sure Bluestar told us to go to Sunningrocks? I clearly remember her saying to patrol the ShadowClan border," an irritated Tigerclaw told Redtail.

The weak, foolish deputy frowned. "Yes, but she told me to check Sunningrocks if I have time."

Ravenpaw looked nervous. "What if RiverClan's at Sunningrocks and they tear us to shreds?"

"ThunderClan will never be beaten!" Tigerclaw growled. "We will destroy RiverClan."

"Yes, all in good time, but for now, let's go." Redtail headed for the camp entrance.

"Ravenpaw, you're lucky." Graypaw had come to meet them, an envious gleam in his eyes. "You get to go on a mission against RiverClan."

"It's not a mission," Ravenpaw tried to explain. "We're just the border patrol going to the RiverClan border."

"Fine, whatever you say. I still say you're lucky for getting to go on a special mission."

Ravenpaw rolled his eyes. Tigerclaw cuffed him on the ear. "Come on, we have to go."

As the three cats approached Sunningrocks, a wisp of scent floated across Tigerclaw's nose. He stiffened. "RiverClan's at Sunningrocks."

"Oh, great StarClan!" Redtail hissed. "Those stinking fleabags! We gave them a warning last Gathering!"

"RiverClan wouldn't recognize a warning if it sat up and bit them," Tigerclaw retorted.

They came through the trees and Tigerclaw called out, "Oakheart!"

Oakheart and four other RiverClan cats who had been stalking a mouse looked up. Oakheart hissed. "Why are you trespassing on RiverClan territory, Redtail?"

"I think you mean, why are _you _trespassing on _ThunderClan _territory?" Redtail hissed back.

The RiverClan cats got up, backs arched and neck fur bristling.

"Keep your hunting parties out of our territory," Redtail warned. "The next warrior caught in ThunderClan territory will be killed."

Oakheart laughed. "I think not. My Clan must be fed, whatever your weak Clan threatens." He muttered more quietly, "Even if the prey is hard to catch."

Redtail growled. "Leave now, Oakheart, and do not come back."

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes. "Redtail, he won't listen. We need to teach RiverClan a lesson once and for all."

"I want to avoid fighting, Tigerclaw," Redtail told him out of the corner of his mouth. Louder he yowled, "Leave, Oakheart, and take your warriors with you."

Oakheart laughed again and turned around, lashing his tail. "No, no, that won't do. I think you should leave instead. Allow my warriors to escort you."

Two RiverClan warriors—Stonefur and Leopardfur—stepped forward, leers on their faces.

Tigerclaw bunched his muscles, ready to fight.

"I do not want this to come to battle," Redtail hissed. "I want no bloodshed here."

"I do," Tigerclaw hissed.

Redtail shot him a sharp look, then turned back to Oakheart. "This is my last warning. Leave. Now."

"No."

Tigerclaw let out a howl of fury and flung himself at the reddish-brown tom. Oakheart retaliated with an angry kick to his stomach.

The other RiverClan cats joined the fray as well, and Redtail, Tigerclaw, and Ravenpaw found themselves outnumbered.

Ravenpaw tried to run for help, but a RiverClan apprentice, Silverpaw, leaped on him and sliced his shoulder with her claws.

"ThunderClan filth!" she hissed.

Tigerclaw was fighting Blackclaw now. He shredded the black warrior's ear and sent him screeching across the river.

A young warrior named Whiteclaw looked at Tigerclaw in fear and followed his retreating clanmate.

Tigerclaw went for Stonefur next, but as he hooked his claws on Stonefur's back, Oakheart threw himself at Tigerclaw, knocking him away.

"No ThunderClan cat will _ever _harm that warrior!" Oakheart hissed.

"So, Stonefur lets other cats fight his battles for him?" Tigerclaw taunted.

Stonefur looked furious. "I'll show you!" He leaped at Tigerclaw and the two cats evolved into a whirling mass of claws and fur. Tigerclaw paused momentarily to shout at Ravenpaw: "Leave! Go tell Bluestar to send more warriors!"

Ravenpaw nodded and ran for the bushes.

Redtail faced Oakheart. "Take your warriors and leave!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Never," Oakheart replied.

Redtail screeched and landed on Oakheart with such force that the RiverClan deputy was thrown back into a boulder. Redtail approached him. "Give up yet?"

"I never give up." Oakheart got to his paws, wincing as he put weight on one.

"Yes, and I sup—look out!" Redtail yowled.

Oakheart staggered. "What?"

"Rocks!"

Tigerclaw sent Stonefur running for home, and then saw that some rocks above Redtail and Oakheart had become dislodged when Oakheart's weight crashed into them, and they fell.

Redtail yowled and ran.

Oakheart tried to run, but his sprained paw collapsed under him and he tripped. Tigerclaw saw his eyes widen before the falling rocks silenced him forever.

"Oakheart!" Leopardfur ran toward her dead clanmate. She gripped his scruff in her teeth, gesturing to Silverpaw to come with her. Glaring at Redtail, they ran back to RiverClan territory.

"I—I didn't mean to—" Redtail began. "Have they all left?" He turned to look back at the river.

Suddenly a dozen emotions flooded through Tigerclaw.

Euphoria, seeing Redtail with his back turned, displaying weakness.

Doubt, about murdering the Clan deputy.

Harshness, telling himself that if Redtail was out of the way, the way would be paved for Tigerclaw to take over ThunderClan.

He saw Leapkit: _One more murder, and I get to decide how you die_.

His claws itched.

His fur longed to be stained with blood.

His muscles bunched.

All this happened in less than a second.

It seemed to happen in slow motion: Redtail checked that the RiverClan cats had left; Tigerclaw leaped; Redtail turned around and his eyes widened; Tigerclaw slashed his claws across Redtail's throat.

Redtail gasped for breath, blood bubbling in his throat. "What…are…you…doing?"

"Becoming deputy," Tigerclaw said before silencing the ginger-tailed tom.

Tigerclaw yowled in triumph and turned to the forest, gripping Redtail's scruff in his teeth.

Then he dropped it in astonishment.

Was that a white-tipped black tail he saw disappearing through the leaves?

No…not Ravenpaw…he couldn't have seen…he couldn't…

For one instant he thought he saw a young kit with stars in her fur, staring intently at him. Then she vanished.

Tigerclaw, his heart hammering, started dragging Redtail's body towards the ThunderClan camp.

*

Up in StarClan, a powerful white tom looked down.

"So you continue to kill, Tigerclaw. But no worries. You will soon meet your match."

*

**Eee! *trembles with excitement* Firepaw comes in the next chapter! (first 100 words) The story's caught up to the present now.**

**I'm thinking about ending this when Tigerclaw dies.**

**I just found out that according to the Erins, Leopardfur (star) was both Whiteclaw's mentor AND mate, and I was like… "Okay, that's weird…" That's like harassment of a minor or something…**

**~Ciao! Keep reading!**

**LenzieKat**


	22. I'm Back With Q&A

Hey…it's been awhile…nearly a year…I have a feeling I'm grounded.

First off let me explain. I just lost interest in Fanfiction for a while, and I'm sorry about that. I've also been dealing with stuff like a move, a busy summer, and my first year of high school.

I know. Excuses, excuses.

But I promise…I SWEAR…_I CROSS MY HEART_…that I will not abandon my stories like this again. In fact, I will start and finish the next chapter of this story ASAP and have it up sometime in the next five days. And I hope that my writing might have improved after grueling Pre-AP English classes. (By the way, if your teacher assigns you summer reading, read the books. Or you will fail. Probably. Stupid boring book.)

Anyway, I decided to put something worthwhile in this Author Note, and do some Question and Answer.

Enjoy the following interview.

**Bold**=Annoying questioner

Regular=Me

**LenzieKat, why did you abandon us? It's not fair! *sobs into a tissue***

Well, if you bothered to read the fourth paragraph (see above) then that question is answered. Plus the infamous quote: "Life isn't fair." (PS—I really am sorry about abandoning you guys. Forgive me?)

**This story isn't right! If you read Bluestar's Prophecy, it's totally wrong and inaccurate!**

Again, it's all a matter of reading and paying attention. If you look at the publication date for this story, it was about a year before Bluestar's Prophecy came out. So unless you expect me to have a time machine and be able to go into the future and find out what the Erins will write about, I write what I think will happen. Plus, it's called FanFICTION. As in not canon. Have you seen those stories about Firestar being Bluestar's son and turning evil while the good Tigerclaw desperately tries to stop him? Meanwhile, Spottedleaf becomes Sandstorm's secret lover and EarthClan takes over the forest using an army of rats.

You see my point.

**Well, why does Leapkit play such a big part? She's just a kit.**

I like the idea of a long-dead kit having the 'wiseness' of a cat like Whitestorm. Leapkit was just an idea that popped into my head, and I decided to keep her around. Originally, she was supposed to be Tigerclaw's sister he killed when he was a few moons old, but I decided I didn't like that and discarded the idea. So now she's just a smart little dead kit who wants Tigerclaw to die a gruesome death by excessive bleeding from the stomach. Cheerful, huh?

**Why did you have to kill *insert cat name here*? He/she/it was my favorite character! *sobs into another tissue***

Well, disappointed reviewer, I don't like killing off cats. (Or do I? No, I don't.) Most of you wonder why I killed off Dapplepaw, and trust me, she was the hardest to write a death scene for. But the reason I killed Dapplepaw was because she…_tamed _Tigerclaw too much. If she had stuck around, he wouldn't have become evil-ish. I know, I could have just made her dump him, but then I wouldn't have gotten to write the gushy "Good-bye, my precious" thing. Plus Tigerclaw would probably have killed her. He's not the dumpee, he's the dumper. And I'm sorry I killed Wildpaw, Cloverpaw, Sparrowpaw, Petalfur, and all the others. They probably won't ever forgive me, but I hope you guys will.

**Do you like cookies?**

Why, yes. I like cookies very much. As a matter of fact, I'm eating one right now.

**Why do you always put allegiances at the beginning of chapters? It's boring and there's no point to it.**

At first I did it because I thought it would give a format like the actual books, but now I write new allegiances for every chapter because I've started skipping a lot of time and the allegiances change with every new chapter. But if it really is an annoyance, let me know.

**Why did Crowflight die, come back to life, then die again? Is he like Heavystep?**

Bad math on my part. He was a character for the sole reason that I needed extra cats to die gradually over time, and when I killed him off, I forgot and brought him back. Then I realized my mistake and disposed of him via greencough.

_**Well, that's all the Q&A for now, but if you have any more questions, put them in a review and I'll try to answer them in Author Notes at the end of chapters.**_

**I want to say thanks to all the people who have still been reviewing even during the time I was AWOL. In particular, I want to say thanks to **Aroeheart_**. **_**I loved your reviews. The Warriors Courthouse one made me laugh for five minutes straight. Also…"GET IN THESE PAW-CUFFS." L. O. L. Or should I say LAWL. And thanks for saying I've got a gift. You rock for that.**

**Thanks to **Wildshadow24** for defending me against those people saying my story was inaccurate, and see? I updated. (:**

**Thanks, **Snowheart**. It's awesome knowing that some people stay up until 5:43 am to read my story. You. Rock.**

**And thanks to all you other guys. Even the person who just put a period. Without you, I wouldn't have gotten 470 reviews. Wow. I still can't believe that happened.**

**YOU. GUYS. ROCK.**

**Love from the girl who just re-realized how cool Fanfiction is.**


	23. One Last Show of Weakness

**This chapter will focus on how this recent killing has affected Tigerclaw more than he thinks, and he is going to become haunted by the spirits of the dead…mainly Dapplepaw.**

**Disclaimer—I do not own anything taken from the meow-er-iffic book, **_**Into the Wild **_**by Erin Hunter. Neither do I own characters like Dapplepaw, Cloverpaw, or Wildpaw. They belong to whoever submitted them. But I do own the OCs like Shadestorm, Leapkit, Dusktail, Nightwhisker, and Sageflower.**

**P.S.—I apologize for this incredibly long disclaimer.**

_**ThunderClan—**_

Leader—**Bluestar**

Deputy—**n/a**

Medicine Cat—**Spottedleaf**

Warriors—

**Lionheart (apprentice, Graypaw)**

**Tigerclaw (apprentice, Ravenpaw**

**Whitestorm (apprentice, Sandpaw)**

**Goldenflower**

**Darkstripe**

**Longtail**

**Runningwind**

**Willowpelt**

**Mousefur**

Apprentices—

**Dustpaw**

**Ravenpaw**

**Graypaw**

**Sandpaw**

Queens—

**Frostfur**

**Brindleface**

**Speckletail**

Elders—

**Halftail**

**Smallear**

**Patchpelt**

**One-eye**

**Dappletail**

**Rosetail**

**Meanwhile, back in StarClan…**

Leapkit ran as fast as her tiny paws would carry her. She ran into the clearing with trodden-down grass, where a gathering of familiar faces awaited her.

"It's happened!" she gasped as she hurtled into the middle of it all. "He's done it! Tigerclaw has finally killed Redtail!"

A shocked yowl rippled through the crowd, and a dark brown tabby she-cat wailed, clearly in agony. "My son! How could he!"

Nightwhisker comforted the wailing queen. "Hush, Shadestorm. This is his decision."

"But it could have been prevented." Shadestorm hung her head.

"Blame that on Thistleclaw, then," Moonflower told her. "I always knew he was no good…well…after…" she trailed off.

"After you came here," Snowfur finished for her mother.

Shadestorm sighed. "He would have been the perfect father…"

"Yeah," Dusktail muttered. "Would have been. Notice past tense on 'would'."

Leapkit cleared her throat as Star prowled into the clearing.

The great white tom moved aside as the much smaller Sageflower padded up beside him.

"It has happened!" she meowed happily. "Rusty—I mean, Firepaw, has just had his name given. He is now a member of ThunderClan, and Tigerclaw is about to meet the cat who will be his final downfall."

"Hopefully," Dusktail put in.

**Ravenpaw's POV—during the battle**

"Leave!" Tigerclaw shouted at the small black apprentice. "Go tell Bluestar to send more warriors!"

Ravenpaw was hesitant, not wanting to leave his deputy and mentor alone. But one glare from Tigerclaw made the decision for him. He ran for the bushes.

His paws were scratched by sticks and thorns as he ran blindly, until he heard a yowl.

"Tigerclaw!" he gasped. Ravenpaw turned around, meaning to go back to help his mentor.

He glimpsed him through the bushes he had trampled. Tigerclaw was looking at Redtail, who was watching the river.

Ravenpaw sighed with relief. The RiverClan cats had gone. "Tigercl—" He broke off as a terrible scene unfolded in front of him.

Tigerclaw pounced on Redtail, and sliced the deputy's throat with his claws. Blood bubbled there.

"What…are you…doing?" Ravenpaw heard Redtail gasp.

"Becoming deputy," Tigerclaw answered, before slicing Redtail's throat one last time.

Ravenpaw watched his mentor—whom he had always respected and admired—become a murderer.

At that moment, Ravenpaw knew that there was nothing more dangerous and deadly than Tigerclaw. Twolegs, rival Clans, foxes, badgers…all those were meaningless and docile next to him…

Ravenpaw gasped, turned, and ran.

**Present Time**

Tigerclaw stumbled through undergrowth, Redtail's body slowing him down. He gripped the tortoiseshell scruff more tightly.

The gorse tunnel came into view, and Tigerclaw picked up his pace. As he stepped into the camp, he yowled mournfully, and dragged Redtail's body into the center of the clearing.

All the cats around froze with shock, and Graypaw gasped, "Redtail!"

Their grief annoyed Tigerclaw. Couldn't they see that he was surely a much better warrior than Redtail?

Bluestar recovered first. "How did this happen, Tigerclaw?" she called from the Highrock.

Tigerclaw had already formulated his story on his way to camp. "He died with honor, struck down by Oakheart. I couldn't save him, but I managed to take Oakheart's life while he was still gloating over his victory. Redtail's death was not in vain, for I doubt we'll see RiverClan hunters in our territory again."

They all seemed to accept this story, moving forward to share tongues with Redtail for the last time.

Bluestar said some more meaningless words, and suddenly Tigerclaw noticed a new cat among them. It was a ginger tom sitting by Graypaw, and he stunk of kittypets and Twolegs.

Ah. So this must be the new kittypet Bluestar so foolishly wanted to include in the Clan. She would soon regret her mistake when the kittypet failed in his duties.

Suddenly the kittypet turned his eyes on Tigerclaw.

Enemy met enemy.

Time froze.

Hatred surged through Tigerclaw's blood, flowing through his heart and turning it black. His claws automatically became unsheathed, and only pure restraint kept him from tearing this ginger kittypet's throat out.

In a second, he knew he had met the cat he was destined to kill.

The unbridled hatred surprised him. He didn't even know this cat. Kittypet though he may be, he had done nothing to rival Tigerclaw, and Tigerclaw shook his head to clear it. _A moment of insanity_, he thought. He'd run the kittypet out of ThunderClan soon enough, clawing at his heel in fight-or-flight. Problem solved.

He noticed that Ravenpaw was limp in Spottedleaf's den. If that mousebrain had seen the murder, he couldn't be allowed to live. Suppressing a snarl, he decided to go check on his apprentice.

To his annoyance, Graypaw and the kittypet followed him, though respectfully sitting a good distance away.

Flicking his tail with barely concealed anger toward his unconscious apprentice, Tigerclaw tried to sound normal. "So, Spottedleaf. How is he? Do you think you can save him?" Best to sound as if he actually liked the stupid furball. "I've spent a lot of time training him up, and I don't want my efforts to be wasted at the first battle."

"Yes, a pity if, after all your valuable training, he dies in his first fight, eh?" Spottedleaf answered with a hint of teasing in her voice.

Much as he hated to admit it, Tigerclaw knew Spottedleaf was the only cat who could push his tolerance past normal limits. Perhaps because she looked like Dapplepaw.

_Don't think about her. She joined _them_. She's a traitor._

"Will he live?"

Spottedleaf let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh course. He just needs rest."

_No apprentice of mine will rest until I give my permission. _Tigerclaw angrily poked Ravenpaw with one long claw in an effort to wake him. "Come on then! Get up!"

A further infuriating thing was Graypaw and the kittypet whispering behind his back.

"No so fast, Tigerclaw!" Spottedleaf spent a minute telling him off. "Leave him alone."

Tigerclaw stiffened, and was about to snap back rudely before Spottedleaf purred, "Even you know better than to argue with a medicine cat, Tigerclaw."

"_Even you know better than to argue with me, Tigerpaw."_

_Dapplepaw's laugh rang out through the trees._

_Even you know better._

_Even you know better._

_Tigerpaw shook his head and decided to forget about the missed prey. "How is it that you always manage to win me over, Dapplepaw?"_

_She laughed again._

_That laugh._

_He'd never hear it again._

One shake of the head, and he was back to reality. "I wouldn't dare argue with you, dear Spottedleaf." He decided to leave and turned to face Graypaw and the kittypet.

"Who's this?" he drawled.

Graypaw had the grace to bow his head respectfully. "He's the new apprentice."

"He smells like a kittypet!" Tigerclaw hissed degradingly.

The kittypet didn't seem fazed. "I was a house cat. But I am going to train to be a warrior."

"Ah, yes. Bluestar mentioned that she had stumbled across some stray kittypet. So she's actually going to try you out, is she?"

The kittypet straightened up as if he were proud to be what he was. "That's right."

"Then I shall watch your progress with interest." With that, he stalked away, knowing Bluestar would be appointing the new deputy soon.

He found Darkstripe sitting by the Highrock.

"You killed Redtail, didn't you?

"He needed to be disposed of, the soft fool. Now the only choice for deputy is me. Bluestar would be mousebrained to pick any other cat. I suppose some cat in StarClan must have approved, for a small rockfall got Oakheart out of the way and provided me with an alibi, in sorts."

"Wait…what?"

Tigerclaw snorted. "I gave the explanation that Oakheart had killed Redtail, and I took the former's life in revenge. In actuality, rocks fell from the top of Sunningrocks and crushed him. I took Redtail's life when he had his back turned, drowning in his grief." He decided not to mention that Ravenpaw may have been a witness. Not yet.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the kittypet and Graypaw talking with the elders. He strained his ears.

"…at least this time the choice for deputy is obvious," Halftail was meowing.

_Of course._

Bluestar emerged from her den and jumped on the Highrock. "A new deputy must be appointed!" she yowled. "But first let us give thanks to StarClan for the life of Redtail. Tonight he sits with his fellow warriors among the stars. And now I shall name the new deputy. I say these words before the body of Redtail, so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice."

Now.

Now.

Now.

Tigerclaw leaned, hunger brimming in his stomach.

Now.

Now.

Now.

"Lionheart will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."

No. _No_. NO!

Not again!

Darkstripe gave Tigerclaw a shocked sideways glance.

Cool down. Cool down, Tigerclaw.

Don't let Bluestar suspect you.

"Congratulations, Lionheart," he meowed, nudging the golden tom heartily.

Lionheart purred. "Thank you, Tigerclaw. I am glad to have your support."

With a curt nod to both Lionheart and Bluestar, Tigerclaw meowed to Darkstripe, "Follow me to Sunningrocks."

Darkstripe got to his paws and the two cats padded out of the camp.

When they were safely out of hearing range, Tigerclaw exploded.

"That mousebrained leader! How? How? How could she not see that I am the best choice for deputy?"

"As I have said before, perhaps her mind is affected," Darkstripe meowed.

"Yes…yes, it must be." Tigerclaw unsheathed his claws. "She'll pay. Bluestar…she'll pay."

Then he did the hardest thing he had ever done. He let go of his anger towards her…for the moment.

"I won't make a big deal about not becoming deputy. Gain both Bluestar and Lionheart's trust, that's what I'll do." He paced around. "I'll accept this right now."

Darkstripe was shocked. Tigerclaw wasn't normally like this. He decided to change the subject.

"Killing the Clan deputy…how did it feel?" Darkstripe inquired.

Tigerclaw gave his former apprentice a quizzical look. "How did it feel? Well…powerful. Adrenaline rush. Greater than StarClan itself. Much of how I felt killing Sunstar. The greatest feeling ever."

"I thought your greatest murder ever was that of Thistleclaw."

Tigerclaw had cautiously revealed the dark part of his relationship with Thistleclaw to Darkstripe over the past few moons, carefully divulging certain information, not fully trusting the other with every detail of his kithood beatings.

"You know what I've come to realize, Darkstripe?" he meowed slowly. "Thistleclaw was the best kind of father I could have had. He didn't spoil me with unnecessary words of praise, telling me I was perfect when I failed. Before I thought that his beating me was pure cruelty, now I realize that it helped me overcome my weaknesses and gain strength. While that may not have been what he intended to happen, it did, and look at where I am now…Strong. Powerful. Capable. Half of StarClan most likely despises me, yet who cares about them?"

"So now Thistleclaw holds a position of honor in your mind, and you have turned your back on StarClan."

"It is necessary for me to gain power over all four Clans. StarClan are all fools, the lot of them, and you are either with or against me on this one, Darkstripe."

"But I—"

"_With me or against me."_

"I'm with, you, I am!" Darkstripe protested.

"Good," Tigerclaw told him. "Now, what is going on with this new kittypet? When did he get here?"

"He arrived just before you showed up with Redtail. Bluestar gave him the name Firepaw, and now he and Graypaw are sticking to each other like dew to a leaf. But I'm sure that we'll have him running back to his Twolegs in a few sunrises. No need to worry about him."

Once again Tigerclaw thought about that strange feeling when he had looked into the eyes of this "Firepaw".

Hatred.

An urging to kill.

Blood.

Yes, there would be blood.

Fear…

"_I will never be afraid of any cat," Tigerpaw boasted."And every cat shall fear me."_

_Dapplepaw purred. "Oh, don't be such a stubborn badger. You may have that hard outer shell, but I know you're just a big softie underneath."_

_She rolled on her back, paws waving in the air, laughing._

He shook his head wildly. Why did he keep thinking about her? She was a traitor. She had betrayed him.

"Excuse me, Darkstripe, I need a moment."

Darkstripe gestured with a paw. "Go ahead. I'll get back to camp."

Tigerclaw calmly padded away until he was safely out of hearing range.

Then began the rage.

"STUPID STARCLAN! MOUSEBRAINED DAPPLEPAW!"

He threw himself at a nearby tree and ran his claws down the bark, leaving deep grooves. "Let the Place of No Stars claim your soul, Dapplepaw. You are going to forever haunt me!"

"Really, Tigerclaw?"

Not. Again.

He turned around and saw her.

"Dapplepaw." There was no wonder, no love in his voice. Just a curt dismissal, and a hint of surprise. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be up in StarClan, having fun with all the cowards who weren't worthy enough to live."

The beautiful tortoiseshell blinked, pain in her eyes. "You don't mean that."

"Of course I do. You belong right up there with them. Thistleclaw killed you for a reason—you had no value to the world and didn't deserve life."

Dapplepaw gave a little gasp, as if Tigerclaw had just stabbed her in the throat.

_Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me._

It was an old kithood saying spoken many times by her mother. But it was a lie. Words did hurt. They had stabbed her so fiercely.

Stabbed by the cat she had once—still—loved.

She took a deep breath.

Then another.

A third.

For good measure, she took a fourth breath and mewed, "You don't have to be this way, Tigerclaw. You weren't always this way."

Tigerclaw growled. "You never answered my first question. What are you doing here?"

"Technically, I'm not allowed to even appear in one of your dreams, much less talk to you in twilight. I'm breaking the second biggest rule in StarClan."

"Then leave. You won't be missed."

Dapplepaw took a hesitant step forward. "Listen to me, Tigerclaw. I need you to listen."

He nodded. "What?"

She closed her eyes briefly, soaking in the scent of the forest and the feel of sunshine on her pelt which she hadn't experienced in moons. The birds were chirping, mice were scuffling through the undergrowth, and if she tried very hard, she could smell a hint of ShadowClan on the breeze.

Home.

Another quick breath.

"Tigerclaw, if you were to consent to this, we'd be breaking the _first _biggest rule in StarClan, but it would be worth it—so, so worth it."

Tigerclaw was growing impatient. "You haven't told me what 'this' is yet."

Dapplepaw gave him a long look. "I still love you, Tigerclaw, and even though you may not share the same feelings, I still want the best for you. Please…please…" She let out a choked sob. "Please repent for what you've done. I'm begging you. I've seen where you'll end up, and it's not a good place. Please…don't continue on this path. I pulled some strings…if you were to repent, and confess, you would still be accepted into StarClan when your life is over. I don't…I don't want to see the cat I love end up in the Dark Forest."

_I love you, Tigerpaw._

_I love you too, Dapplepaw._

"I love you, Tigerclaw. Even after death, I still do. I see you with Goldenflower, and I still love you."

"Well, you live in a one-ended relationship, because love is weakness. I have vowed never to love again. My concern for the moment is getting rid of Lionheart and becoming deputy."

"Please."

Tigerclaw closed his eyes and decided that, in this hectic, crazy day, he could have on night.

One night to feel young again.

The only cat to ever have any good influence on him looked at him hopefully.

Tigerclaw opened his eyes to the darkness and quarter moon, and padded over to a soft, mossy spot under a bush. Circling in it a few times, he laid down and wrapped his tail around his body.

Dapplepaw stood still for a moment, and hesitantly made her way over to her kithood love.

Step by step.

She settled down beside the dark murderer, and closed her eyes.

Close together, they slept, bathed in the gentle moonlight glow.

The beautiful tortoiseshell. Dead. Gentle. Loving. Good. StarClan.

The dark tabby. Living. Fierce. Hatred. Cruel. Destined for the Dark Forest.

One last show of weakness.

Tigerclaw woke with the first rays of sun.

He opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see the walls of the warriors' den and his Clanmates snoozing.

The sleeping, smiling, and starry tortoiseshell next to him was not what he expected.

Then he remembered.

Last night. Dapplepaw appearing. Begging him to repent.

One last show of weakness.

What had happened…for him to allow that to take place? He was disgusted with himself.

His moving must have startled Dapplepaw, for she woke and found herself staring at a very angry tomcat.

All her earlier happiness faded.

"Tigerclaw, I…"

"Leave." His voice was tense, furious.

"But—"

"You don't belong here. Leave."

"She was just about to do that," a new voice interrupted.

They both turned to see a smoldering black she-cat standing a few feet away.

Dapplepaw went pale. "Nightwhisker."

Nightwhisker ran forward, barreling into the frightened she-cat. "What have you done?"

"I—I'm sorry." Dapplepaw tried to explain. "I thought I could help."

"You were wrong. Do you know how much you've jeopardized things? You could have endangered your own existence, or been sent to the Place of No Stars!"

"I already said I'm sorry." Nightwhisker laid her tail on Dapplepaw's shoulder. "Tigerclaw, we're leaving, just as you wanted. I would warn you to watch your pawsteps from here on. If you die, rest assured StarClan will not go easy on you."

The two starry cats faded away.

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes in fury. "Fools," he spat.

Verbally abusing himself for that show of weakness, he headed back for the camp.

**Meanwhile, down in the Dark Forest…**

Thistleclaw, banished for lack of repentance, ran through the endless paths carved out in a dim forest.

"No…no…NO!"

There was nothing…nothing…

Silence.

.

.

.

"I'M SORRY!"

.

.

.

"PLEASE! MERCY!"

.

.

.

"DON'T MAKE ME STAY HERE!"

.

.

.

"I REPENT! I DO! TAKE ME AWAY! ANYTHING! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

Nothing answered. Shadows stirred and disappeared.

A dark, tabby kit with amber eyes ran out of a bush. It stayed just out of reach, cackling with laughter.

Torture.

Thistleclaw eventually collapsed on the ground, panting from running, lost in half-madness and eternal damnation.

**Though I'd show you what happened to Thistleclaw. Poor Thistleclaw. Do you think he deserved it?**

**I know the chapter was probably different from all the others in format and writing style. And I know there was quite a bit more Dapplepaw than usual.**

**I liked the idea of Tigerclaw having that "one last show of weakness" before truly becoming the Tigerclaw we all know and either love or hate.**

**Let me know how you liked this chapter and the writing style. I appreciate constructive, polite criticism.**

**FIREPAW CAME! *dancing***

**Everyone take the new and improved Tigerclaw plushie. Since a lot of people liked the talking Longpaw plushie, this Tigerclaw one can talk too!**

**Phrase One: "I will have power."**

**Phrase Two: "They're all fools."**

**Phrase Three: "Traitor!"**

**Phrase Four: "Every cat shall fear me."**

**Phrase Five: "You're my best friend!"**

**He comes with a devil costume just in time for Halloween! Don't forget to fill his pillowcase with candy—um, mice—or he'll attack!**

**Ciao~**

**~Lenziekat**


	24. Punishment

**Hello!**

**Yes, I know. A month. I'm still trying to get back in the writing mindset, okay?**

**I NOW HAVE 502 REVIEWS! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! You guys are the best.**

**Anyway, onto Chapter 23.**

…

Morning fell upon the Clans, but in StarClan the atmosphere was dark and foreboding. Wildpaw could sense it—Nightwhisker was mad. Spitting, boiling, raging mad. She knew it had something to do with Dapplepaw's disappearance.

Wildpaw paced around the apprentices' den in the ShadowClan area of StarClan. She stopped when she heard Cloverpaw's voice.

"Wildpaw, come quick! Nightwhisker's found Dapplepaw." The brown WindClan apprentice looked nervous, since they both knew that if Dapplepaw had gone down to earth, then she would be in trouble. Big trouble.

Wildpaw gritted her teeth and followed her friend out of the den and the trekked down the smoothed-out trail leading to the main clearing. There was already a gathering of cats; apparently watching others get in trouble was something to watch.

A bright light shone in front of them, and Dapplepaw ran out of it, her eyes wide with fear and her fur standing on end. Nightwhisker burst out of the light running after her, and when the black she-cat caught up with the younger tortoiseshell one, she slapped her face with violent force.

"You stupid kit!"

Dapplepaw stumbled and fell to the ground from the blow.

As Nightwhisker realized what she had just done, her mouth fell open in an 'O', and her face contorted into pure shock. "Dapplepaw…I'm sorry."

Wildpaw winced at the look of hurt and betrayal on Dapplepaw's face.

"What, are you turning into Thistleclaw?" Dapplepaw accused. "Thinking you can dominate by slapping?"

Nightwhisker frowned. "I didn't mean—" She straightened up. "Do you not realize why I am angry? What you did was extremely stupid…spending a night down in the world of life, and with a murderer no less! You could have been banished to the Place of No Stars if someone else had found you!"

She closed her eyes briefly and her voice softened. "Tigerclaw is gone. The apprentice you fell in love with has shed his skin and now is a murderer. You have to accept that. He doesn't love you anymore—he loves power instead. Give up on him, and stop trying to make sure he gets into StarClan, because, like it or not, he's going to end up in the Dark Forest. He's had chances, and thrown them all away. Do you understand me?" She tilted Dapplepaw's chin up with her tail so the apprentice could meet her eyes.

Dapplepaw nodded. "I'm sorry, Nightwhisker." She still felt rebellious, though. _Whatever you say, I know that deep down, Tigerclaw still loves me._

Nightwhisker sighed. "It is harsh, I know. But you have to let go sometime." With that she padded away, most of the other cats in the clearing following her.

Wildpaw and Cloverpaw came up to their friend, who lay huddled on the ground.

"I really hate to say this, Dapplepaw, but—"

"_Don't _say 'I told you so,'" Dapplepaw snapped at Wildpaw.

Wildpaw wasn't fazed. "I warned you of the consequences before you left. Nightwhisker was so mad when I told her—"

"YOU told Nightwhisker where I was? I can't believe you did that. I thought you were my friend!" Dapplepaw looked hurt.

"We are your friends, Dapplepaw," Cloverpaw put in. "That's why we want to protect you."

Dapplepaw glared at them. "You're not my friends. A real friend would come with me to save Tigerclaw."

Wildpaw and Cloverpaw glanced at each other. _She's deluded_, they realized. Dapplepaw refused to believe ill of Tigerclaw. "Please listen to us, Dapplepaw," Wildpaw pleaded. "Tigerclaw's gone dark and he won't come back."

Dapplepaw was shaking. "You're lying. You just don't want me to be with Tigerclaw."

"You're lying to yourself!" Cloverpaw protested. "Please listen to us!"

"NO!" Dapplepaw hissed and turned. Without one last word, she ran.

"Dapplepaw! Come back!"

Wildpaw barred Cloverpaw's way with her tail. "Let her go. She needs to blow off steam."

Cloverpaw nodded, and the two padded away, not yet realizing that they would not see their friend for a very long time.

…

**So, what will happen to Dapplepaw? Find out next chapter!**

**Yes, I know, it was short. But I'm still trying to get back into this. Plus, I have to wait for my library to ship in a copy of Into the Wild so I can re-read it and remember what I've forgotten.**

**Well, thanks again for the 500 reviews. It touches my heart. *sniffle***

**Peace out!**


End file.
